


Bis Vivit Qui Bene Vivit

by ChaoticMimzy



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, Pay attention to these, Vampires, Werewolves, please
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2018-12-10 11:45:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11690964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticMimzy/pseuds/ChaoticMimzy
Summary: I'll have an actual summary written up once I figure out how to summarize this but have this instead: Vampires humans werewolves fight Prompto makes Bad Decisions™ bad touch Chancellor is still a dick Titus Drautos is also still a dick Nyx is a pretty vampire who commits a Crime™ Noct falls in love easily Noct also has bad impulse control Ignis and Gladio are 100% done with Noct Loqi and Aranea and Pelna all have sort of important roles I throw in some OCs for filler characters and Ravus doesn't lose an arm!Maybe.





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first major fanfiction, and my first time ever posting any of my works on here. I've been writing my own little stories since I was in fifth grade, and now I'm going into my third year of college & just now am getting the guts to post my work. I fully blame two of my friends (Beth & Insolo) for pushing me to write this, and I sincerely hope you all enjoy this.  
> I'll try updating once a week, maybe twice- we'll see.  
> Please pay attention to the tags, for there are subjects in this work that might be touchy for some.  
> For now, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Bis Vivit Qui Bene Vivit.  
> -Mel

_“Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald_

* * *

“Whattya mean, you didn’t get the shot?” Dino asks, turning away from the computer to study the blond who seemed to have gotten a sudden interest in the floor. Sighing, he ran a hand through his overly gelled hair, grimacing at the way it felt. Man, he needed to invest in a different type of gel. “Well- just hand the assignment over to one of the juniors, then. I gotta betta job for you to do!” With a flourish, he brought the bespectacled youth closer, forcing him to look at the headline in the newspaper.

_‘United Once More: The Nox-Fleruet Coven Visits Insomnia’_

Prompto frowned, pushing his glasses further up his nose before looking over at his boss curiously. “So… You want me to go… Take pictures? Of Vampires?” He asked, not exactly understanding why this was such a big deal. Sure, the Nox-Fleuret family was pretty big, pretty important to the West as far as a governing body went, but why was this so big? The sound of scoffing made him pout, not enjoying being obviously made fun of.

“Read more- see, here. It’s the first time that ol’ Princey’s gonna be out an’ about with the public! It’s his debut, blondie. Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum! Imagine how much we could make if we managed to get a good shot of him!” Dino spoke excitedly, releasing Prompto to walk over to the windows, staring out at the cityscape. “This is big, Prommy. This could be your debut as a photojournalist.” A smirk curled his lips, obvious in his voice as he looked over his shoulder. “Unless, you’d rather hand it off to-”

“I’ll do it!” Prompto exclaimed, knuckles whitening from his hold on his camera. To get close to the Prince… To royalty. It was a dream come true, really! “I’ll do it, don’t you worry! I’ll get the best pictures of them that you’ve ever seen, just you wait!” He sang, turning and all but skipping out of the room, cornflower blue hues sparkling in excitement and determination. He could do this. He WOULD do this! Even if it meant breaking some rules and maybe paying a guard or two off, he could and would do this.

The smell of fresh air greeted him as he stepped through the front doors of Insomnia Journals, the sound of traffic and people talking mingling. Fumbling, he pulled his earbuds free and quickly slipped them in, listening as the sound of acoustic guitar began to take over as he started his walk home. It always brought him past the heavily guarded Citadel- the center of Insomnia and where the Lucis-Caelum family lived, as well as where all the governing happened. Prompto had never been in there, but he’d taken plenty of photographs of the imposing building. Towering spirals, dark arches, the engraving of the Gods and the Fall of the Infernian engraved upon the front, over the doors. It was beautiful- and the interior was even more so, no doubt.

Today, however, a barrier was set up, cutting the roundabout in half and making a mess out of traffic. In front of the steps, three cars sat- gleaming white and pristine. There were more guards posted than usual, giving him pause as he joined in with the crowd. Whoever was in the vehicles was important, obviously- especially if it meant rerouting traffic. Raising his camera, he focused through the viewfinder, closing one eye as he began snapping away. The Glaive- that was what the guards were called. There were rumors that it was made up completely of werewolves. Which made sense to Prompto; the shifters were known to be physically stronger than a normal human- not as strong as vampires, of course, but still. He focused in on the one in front- a shorter man with dark hair buzzed on the sides, two braids on the left side of his head. There were little tattoos on his face; the corner of his eyes, one at his temple. But his eyes…

Damn.

They were almost neon in color, a blue so vibrant they seemed fake. He made sure to capture a few shots before freezing in place as the Glaive’s gaze zeroed in on him. Swallowing thickly, he managed to take one last shot before a smirk was spreading across the man’s face. Oh. Oh, Gods. He was handsome, and dangerous, and maybe this was a bad idea. Lowering his camera, he shifted further back in the crowd, but the sensation of the man’s gaze on him never left. ‘There’s no way he can still see me, right?’ He asked himself, brushing a hand over the red beanie on his head, covering blond locks. Nah, there wasn’t any way. Not with this many people in the way.

Then, cheers began.

Moving to the other side, he elbowed his way to the front, near the reporters as they spoke into their microphones. He listened in as he raised his camera, focusing in on the cars as their occupants began to file out. “-with channel six news! Here we have the Nox Fleuret family from the Realm of Tenebrae arriving! Sylva Nox Fleuret is exiting, looking stunning in a white pantsuit.” And stunning she did look- especially through the lens of his camera, Prompto snickered silently. “And there is Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, her hair in a lovely long braid and dressed in a modest gown of silver, with Lady Gentiana following from her own car in a traditional gown of black and gold. Both women look wonderful.” Prompto waited, not wanting to get a shot of the Ladies with their backs to the crowd.

“And there is Lord Ravus Nox Fleuret, standing tall and regal in a suit of white and lilac, his hair tied back. Recently, news of his engagement to Miss Aurora Mane-Glorium broke- and there she is! Oh, look at that dress! Lilac, and how stunning it looks with her hair! Aurora Mane-Glorium comes from a modest Vampire clan native to Tenebrae. Her father served beneath Lady Sylva in her council before his untimely death in a horrid accident twelve years prior. You’ll remember when a radical terrorist group attacked Tenebrae, claiming wanting to put an end to the Nox-Fleuret line.” As she spoke, the group of five turned to face the crowd, flashing dazzling, fanged smiles. Thanks to the overcast nature of the day, none carried parasols with them, nor were there sunglasses covering their eyes.

Perfect. Tongue poking out between his lips, he quickly snapped a few shots before lowering his camera, a grin on his face. They all did look fantastic, he had to agree. Job done, he slipped away, shoving his way through the crowd to the edges, where he almost tripped. Catching himself in time, he looked up, only spot familiar black and red leathers. Or, at least, he thought he did. Once he blinked, they were gone, leaving a sinking sensation of disappointment in it’s wake. Of course it wasn’t them.

He hadn’t seen his brother or the Huntress in over three years now. Not after the last fight they’d had. It’d been a stupid argument over Loqi being a Hunter- too stupid, now that he thought on it. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he pushed the thoughts away and instead focused on the agenda he had for the night. Go home, fix some dinner for himself and his Corgi, Insolo, and then go for an evening jog. The jogs helped clear his troubled mind- even if he sometimes pushed himself too far. It wasn’t his fault, really- he just enjoyed the runner’s high. The way his lungs burned with every breath, the feeling of blood rushing through his veins. It was addicting. A drug.

The farther he walked from the Citadel, the less polished the city became. Then again, it wasn’t all that shocking, considering how he lived in an apartment closer to the markets than the business district. But he couldn’t complain; hell, getting fresh produce and meats daily was worth living in a shoddy studio apartment. Besides, it wasn’t as if he’d get visitors often. Truth be told, he couldn’t exactly remember the last time he’d had someone over. His birthday, last year? Had it truly been that long?

Brows furrowing, he fumbled with his keys as a calico began to twine between his legs, meowing for attention. Cas- the apartment building’s local mice killer. The tension that had built up in his shoulders began to ease as he knelt down and offered a scratch under the chin for the feline. She was a sweetie, really; if he remembered to grab some fresh tuna from the market tomorrow, he’d leave some out for her. Gotta pay the work, right? Standing with a groan, he carefully pushed the cat aside so he could unlock the door. Slipping in, he was greeted with the sound of nails on hardwood and yipping.

“There’s my boy!” Prompto cooed, dropping down to his knees to allow the excited corgi to all but tackle him, covering him in kisses. Laughing, the photographer carefully maneuvered back to his feet, making his way into the kitchen. He’d managed to meal prep the night before, meaning he already had dinner prepared for himself. “I want to ride my chocobo, all day~” Singing, he poured Insolo some fresh kibble before reaching into the fridge, wincing at the sight of low supplies. Ouch. Market in the morning, definitely. But for right now, Chicken fajita with Leiden peppers. Heaven on earth!

Food sufficiently heated, he settled down at his table, scrolling through his social media feed. It was all about the Royals from Tenebrae visiting; what they were wearing, the latest fashion trends that are going to start because of it, the prediction of who will end up with who. Rolling his eyes, he set his phone aside and focused on his food, mind drifting back to the mirage he must have seen earlier. That was the only explanation, right? Loqi would have… Would have let him know if he had come back. They were brothers, after all. Memories of their parting floated to the forefront of his mind.

_“Look, you don’t have to do this. We can… We can figure this out!” Prompto pleaded, watching as Loqi packed up his bags, shoulders tense. “No one has to know where we’re from, Lo. Come on… We can pay that guy off!”_

_“No, we can’t. I can’t. I won’t stay here where we can be persecuted for who our father is, Prompto. I refuse.” Loqi replied tersely, turning to study his younger brother with troubled eyes. “Come with me. Aranea’s already got a place we can stay. You can… Stay there while we go out and do hunts.”_

_“I can’t leave! I just got this job at the papers, and… And I don’t want to go. This is home, Loqi-”_

_“It isn’t my home.” He snarled, shaking his head as he stuffed his feet into his shoes. “Stay here, then. Rot. I don’t care.”_

_“You’re just leaving because of that guy- Cor. That’s why! You’re heartbroken because he chose duty over you!” Prompto shouted, but the moment the words slipped out, he regretted them, a hand slapping over his mouth as tears welled up._

_Loqi studied his brother for a moment before turning on his heel and marching out of their shared apartment. He paused for a moment, knuckles white from gripping the door jam. “Take care of yourself, Prompto. Stay away from the blood suckers and shifters.”_

_It took far too long for him to move, his limbs leaden. Lurching to his feet, he nearly tripped as he ran to the door, throwing it open only to see Loqi sliding into a car. “Loqi- LOQI, PLEASE.” He sobbed, sliding to the floor as tears trickled down his cheeks. Damn it._

_He was alone._

Shaking his head, Prompto forced the lump in his throat away as he finished cleaning up his dishes. It was still light enough outside- he could manage a quick run. Yeah. Changing quickly, he made sure the running leggings were on right before pulling on a yellow hoodie, earbuds secured in his ears and phone in his pocket. The sound of heavy bass began to trickle from the speakers as he set out, locking his door behind him. Down the stairs, out the gate, and onto the sidewalk. It was Thursday, meaning the streets weren’t as busy as they could have been. Perfect for running.

Feet slapping against concrete, he wove his way out of the market district, away from the business district, leading down to the riverside. Street lamps were spaced out, leaving dark gaps between each burst of light, but he knew his way around. At least, he liked to think he did. Breathe in, right foot hit, breathe out, right foot hit. Every two steps, he’d breathe. Nice, deep, and even. He’d worked damn hard for this physique- the marks on his stomach and hips told the story- and he’d be damned if he let it fall out of shape! Slowing, he checked his pulse rate and then the time, eyes widening as he realized he’d already been running for over twenty minutes.

The sky had darkened, the stars peeking out. Of course, you couldn’t see them in the city- the lights blocked them out. Turning around, he jogged instead of running, letting himself cool down. Man, the park was emptier than usual. How… Weird. Maybe it was because of the cooling weather? That had to be it.

Until the sound of a scream had him freezing in his tracks.

Yanking out his earbuds, he turned around quickly, hands tightening into fists. He may have looked small, but he’d been taught how to fight. He even was part of a dojo at one point! But that didn’t mean that the sweat on his skin chilled him to the bone, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. “Who’s there?” He called out, wincing as his voice cracked. No answer. No sound at all. It was as if all life had been suddenly sucked free from the park. Breath quickening, he turned and took off in a run, listening as his feet hit the concrete rapidly. Then-

There.

The sound of a second pair of footsteps. Eyes widening, he didn’t bother risking a look over his shoulder, instead leaning forward as he forced himself to run faster. Come on, legs, work! Work, damn it! Wait- no, no- fuck. Fuck, he was falling and when had he left the path? Shit. Blue hues widening in pain and fear, he quickly rolled over, bracing himself for an attack that never came. He was alone…

What the hell? Had he imagined it all? Shaking his head, he pushed himself up, wincing at the twinge in his ankle. Twisted, not sprained- hopefully. His hands throbbed, scrapped to hell and back and bleeding. Ouch. Shaking his head, he brushed himself off, sparing a glance around. The woods in the center of the park. In the day-time they were nice, but now? It sent a chill through him to even be in here. Muffling a whimper as he began to make his way out, he was too focused to feel the gaze of a predator upon his back.

But he felt it the moment claws ripped across his back, prompting for a scream to escape him. Gods, that hurt! Nails clawing at the earth, he tried to pull himself away- but the creature…

Wolf. 

A wolf was hovering over him, all solid brown fur and hulking and far too large to be considered normal and oh gods, this was a werewolf. Oh gods, he was going to die. A whimper spilled free as he curled in on himself, flight taking over the urge to fight. The creature- his forearms were more humanoid than his hind legs, he noticed, standing straighter, it’s jaw opening. And opening. And opening. A terrified squeal peeled free as he tried to force himself backwards, only to hiss in pain as fire crawled up his back. Row upon row of gleaming, bloodied teeth shone in the moonlight, and his head was spinning or was that the werewolf hovering over him?

And then it was rolling away in a flurry of growls and yelps and pale skin. Wait, skin? He struggled to focus, watching as more and more people showed up suddenly. What? His head lolled over, unsteady gaze falling on a woman’s face. Wow, she was pretty- wait, why was she smiling? Had he said that out loud? She looked like Lady Lunafreya… But that was impossible, she was at the Citadel! She opened her mouth to say something, but it was all… Watered down. Like he was under water.

And then, the light disappeared and he was left in shadows.

* * *

Sunlight filtered in, making everything seem red behind his eyelids. But man, the bed he was in was far too comfortable to be his own, and the hand in his hair was so nice… Wait, what?

Eyes cracking open, he winced at how bright it was. It took a few moments for his sight to adjust, and when it did- oh, boy. This bedroom was the size of his entire apartment, plus some. The ceiling was high, painted ivory and with stark black lining. And the hand in his hair… Turning his head, his gaze trailed up the delicate, pale arm, up, up to long brown hair and a delicate face with emerald hues studying him curiously, set in a face that rivaled a porcelain doll’s. Brows furrowing, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped.

“Ravus, love, he’s awake.” She spoke, voice lilting with the accent that was native to Tenebrae. It was musical to hear, really- wait. Ravus? As in, Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret? Turning his head quickly, he took in the sight of the man sitting beside him, long silver hair that he’d normally seen tied back in interviews and photographs loose around his face. It was long- really long, falling past his shoulders. And pretty.

“Thank you, it takes a lot to manage it.” Oh, he’d spoken aloud again, hadn’t he? “Yes, you did. I’ll go retrieve Regis and Noctis- stay with him, Aurora.” Oh his voice was nice- low and soft and rumbly and Prompto found that he would be content to listen to it for hours on end. A giggle sounded to his left, making his gaze fall onto the woman, Aurora, once more. She wasn’t as dressed up as she was the day-days?- before, wearing a crème colored sweater and a pair of black leggings. Comfy.

“Do you need a drink? I have water here…” She spoke softly, removing her hand only for Prompto to whine at the loss. “Oh-… Oh, well, alright.” She replaced her hand with a soft laugh, head tilting as she studied him. “I wasn’t there- but Noctis says it was bad. Do you remember what happened?” Aurora asked, pink lips turning into a pensive frown. He went to answer, but the door opened, and the air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

“Well, this is certainly interesting. You’ve caused quite the stir, Prompto Argentum,” came a smooth voice that made Prompto think of velvet, and his gaze landed on the group that had entered. Specifically, the man who wore a suit of black, whose hair was just starting to grey and whose eyes held the color of blood. His breath caught in his throat as he realized who he was staring at.

Regis Lucis Caelum, patriarch of the Lucis Caelum Dynasty, oldest living Vampire in all of Lucis.


	2. Threatening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops this is almost two weeks late aha-  
> Thanks for sticking around, and thank you to everyone who left kudos on the first chapter! I'm fairly certain on where I want this story to go, finally. Length wise? Not so much, but it will be over ten chapters at least.  
> I'll try keeping a regular schedule of updating every two weeks now that my fall semester has started up, though I make no promises. 
> 
> Again, thank you for sticking with me, and enjoy this update of Bis Vivit Qui Bene Vivit.  
> -Mel

“I-… Wait, how you do name?” That didn’t sound right. Try again. “I mean, how do you know my name?” Prompto asked, keenly aware that the woman that had been petting- _petting_ \- his hair was none other than the fiancé to the _prince_ of Tenebrae. The fact that he was so close to vampires, no, ROYALTY, made him want to shrink down into the blankets that surrounded him. Vampires. He was surrounded by vampires- the very people his brother had warned him against when they were little. The people who killed his mother.

He couldn’t breathe.

“Well, considering how my son and our guests found you, it wasn’t very hard to track down someone who knew who you were. You do need a better password on your phone, dear one,” Regis’ voice was like velvet, smooth and low, lulling- it almost succeeded in calming Prompto down. Shifting, he winced at the blaze of pain that ran up his back. Oh. Right. He had been attacked. Attacked by a werewolf.

… He was going to be sick.

“I- I need-” he managed to choke out before the guard with the eyes of neon was beside him, aiding him in leaning over and holding him steady as he heaved up the remnants of what was left in his stomach. How gross. But he couldn’t stop, either from the pain or the fear, he couldn’t stop. God, this was disgusting. And embarrassing, no less.

“Gladiolus, go get Pelna. Get Noctis out of the room,” the man spoke, his voice holding an accent Prompto had only heard once; a traveler from Galahd held the same accent. Lilting, rich, but holding a more casual air about it compared to Regis. Wait- why were they making the Prince leave? Cornflower blue hues opened and stared in shock at the blood that coated the inside of the bin. Oh, well that explains why it tasted so irony. “Get Noctis out, now!”

Managing a look over his shoulder, the blond’s eyes widened at the sight of the prince being held back by a large man- Gladio… something. But damn, the prince looked terrifying, mouth open to reveal sharp fangs, magenta hues wide and unseeing. He was breathing heavy, too- like he’d just run a marathon. Why was he…? Oh, right. Blood. But no one else was reacting that way, at least, none that Prompto could see. He struggled to watch Noctis be tugged out of the room before his vision began to swim once more.

“I’m gonna pass…” He muttered before slumping forward, body falling limp, leaving the poor Glaive to catch onto him with a hiss. As carefully as he could, he lifted the blond up and onto the bed before backing away, breathing heavily through his mouth.

“Nyx, let’s go. Leave it to the medics to handle him, it’s too rough for you- for us- to be in here. Come,” Lunafreya spoke softly, curling an arm around the taller’s waist, who paused to study the boy for a moment before nodding. Silently, the princess guided the guard out of the room, the other occupants silently leaving one by one.

“We should bring him to the hospital, majesty,” Aurora spoke softly as she closed the door behind her, lips pursing into a gentle frown. “They can take better care of him than we can… And this can’t be good for Noctis. Just the smell of blood… It nearly sent him into a frenzy.” Ravus shifted, giving his fiancé a pointed look- how brazen she was, to talk to Regis without fear. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if she held any fear within her or not.

“The media would have a field day if this leaked out… I say the boy stays here,” Clarus argued, arms crossing over his chest as he leveled the brunette with a steady glare. Beside the Amicitia, Regis sighed, shaking his head.

“Clarus is right- we cannot risk word of a were attack on a human. Not in Insomia. He stays here, and the Glaive watches over him. He’ll be sent home the moment he’s stable enough.” Regis decided, receiving an approving look from his Shield, though Aurora seemed ready to argue. Silently, Ravus reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, feeling her relax beneath his touch almost immediately. Sighing, she relented, arms crossing over her chest in a mimicry of Clarus.

They remained standing before the door as the others began to trickle away, Aurora glancing over her shoulder worriedly as Pelna arrived with Luche, Crowe, and Libertus trailing behind. “You need to relax,” Ravus murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple as the door opened. The couple froze as the scent of fresh blood washed over them as the quartet of medics made their way in, the door closing quietly behind them. “Come, perhaps a warm bath would help ease your tension? Some blood wine, those odd bath fizz things-”

“Bath bombs, love, bath bombs.”

“Right, _bath bombs_ , and candles. That would be nice, would it not?” Ravus questioned, turning to study the petite brunette with a sly smile. Mischief sparkled in his lilac hues, prompting a giggle to resound from her as she shook her head and disentangled herself from his hold.

“Last one there has to fetch the wine!” She exclaimed, taking off in a sprint, kitten heels echoing with every step. Ravus let out a light growl and shook his head, taking off after his fiancé with a mischievous grin.  


* * *

“He ripped his stitches open,” Pelna murmured, carefully peeling the bandages away from Prompto’s back. “Libertus, hold him steady. I don’t want him waking up and punching someone like last time.” The medic ordered softly as he got to work, cleaning the fresh and dried blood from the wound. Tough, the wound itself seemed to have already begun to mend… Brows furrowing, the brunette settled back, arms crossing over his chest.

“Luche, did anyone mention whether this kid is a were or not?” He asked, looking up at the lieutenant, who shook his head in response. “Well, shit. These wounds are already practically healed, which would normally take a few weeks to get to this stage. And yet, here we are…”

“Maybe he’s just got hella good genes, Pel.” Crowe replied with a shrug as she finished cleaning up Prompto’s face. Her hand settled on his cheek as she tilted his head to the side. His features weren’t Lucian, nor were they Tenebraen or Galahdian. Which left…

Niflheim.

She didn’t dare speak this aloud, though- not in the halls of the Citadel, where everyone was watching and listening. Instead, she patted his cheek and watched as cornflower blue hues fluttered open. “Mornin’, sunshine.” She greeted with a grin, watching as his cheeks flooded with color.

“I- what happened?” Prompto asked, wincing at the way his voice sounded, the way the words seemed to grind against his vocal chords. Ouch. His back didn’t hurt as much as it did before, at least. And his stomach wasn’t as queasy.

“According to what Gladio has said, you slept for a good twenty hours, woke up, and then decided to ruin the bed sheets with blood and make poor Noct look ready to rip out your throat,” Luche explained, reaching over to take hold of the blonde’s wrist, checking his pulse rate before jotting it down on his own forearm. Triage at its finest.

“… Oh- I didn’t… Mean to do that.” Prompto muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Did-… Did they catch that- that thing? That attacked me?” He asked, wrapping his arms around his bare torso as he looked at the four curiously, taking in their faces. Oh, no. Oh, had he said something wrong? Oh- oh, by the Six, what if it had been one of them?! One of their own?! “I’m so sorry you don’t have to answer that I was out of line-”

“Libertus got it. And killed it. It was a were gone rogue.” A new voice cut in, the door opening to reveal the man with the prettiest blue eyes Prompto had ever seen. “It wasn’t a Glaive, if that’s what you’re worried about. But he was an Insomnian citizen who had gone off the radar after an altercation with the police force.” He explained, stealing the chair Luche had been sitting in. “Nyx Ulric, second lieutenant of the Glaive.” He explained, holding a hand out with a charming grin.

“Prompto Argentum-…. Photographer.” Prompto replied, reaching out to shake the man-Nyx’s- hand. “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble. I had just gone out for a jog, and… And then it happened and I tried to fight back, I really did! But…”

“It’s fine, kid. I wouldn’t have expected for a human to be able to hold their own against a were. Especially considering how he was-” Libertus began, but was quickly silenced by Nyx kicking his shin. Ow. Frowning at the vampire, he shifted and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Look, you need some more rest… I think Regis wants to talk to you before he’s comfortable with letting you go back home- wherever home is for you.” He sighed, standing and looking at the others with a raised brow. “I’ll be stationed outside your door- if you need anything, just yell, alright?”

“Right, I get it… Thank you. All of you- I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.” Prompto sighed, brows furrowing as he looked down at the blankets. Crowe simply patted his head before sliding off of the bed and leading the group out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her, leaving Prompto to his thoughts.

He certainly felt better, that was for sure. It’d been, what, almost a day since everything had happened? Since he’d been attacked in the park? Shoving the blankets down, he slid from the queen size bed (far more comfortable than his own futon back home), he made his way to the ensuite bathroom. Which was, admittedly, bigger than his entire apartment. What the hell. He caught sight of his reflection and nearly squeaked at how awful he looked. His eyes were bloodshot, skin far more pale than normal, making each and every single freckle stand out against his cheeks. The dark circles under his eyes made him look as if he’d been in a fight and on the losing end, at that. Then again, all things considered, he technically _had_ been in a fight…

Oops.

Turning, he studied the gauze that wrapped around his midsection, eyes dipping lower to the silvery scars that were permanently inlaid in the skin of his hips, red at the edges. Deep, dipping in- not festering and whelping up like normal, wound-inflicted scars would. The same ones lined the underside of his arms, the insides of his thighs. Comparing how flawed his own body was compared to how… Smooth Nyx looked- it felt _wrong_. He didn’t belong here, in this mansion of vampires and werewolves and Six knows what else.

A shower sounded nice, but considering how his bandages were just changed, he’d stick to washing his face. And by the Gods did the cool water feel like heaven. He stood before the sink, letting the water flow through his fingers, cooling the warm skin, making his hands tingle. Cupping the water in his palms, he let a small pool form before splashing his face, the water mingling with the tears he hadn’t been aware he had been shedding until it was too late.

Until the silent sobs began to wreak havoc upon his form, prompting him to curl in on himself as the terror of what had happened set in, as reality set in. As the fact that he could have been killed weighed upon his shoulders. His chest heaved as ice crawled up his spine, spread through his veins, clutched onto his heart and filled his lungs. A black pool of dread had settled into his stomach as she sank to his knees. Memories of the werewolf stalking him, of the sound of his own flesh tearing, of the growls and yelps and screams, screams, _screams_.

Anxiety attacks were a bitch.  


* * *

“He’s mostly healed up, from what I can tell. All that would be left behind are scars, probably by tomorrow at latest. His healing factor is… Inhuman, at best.” Pelna reported, looking up from his papers to study Regis curiously, head tilting to the side. “You plan on allowing him to leave, right? Do you think that’s a good idea? No normal human would have been able to survive that, let alone heal this quickly. A normal human would have been torn to shreds.”

“We all know he ain’t normal, Pelna.” Libertus interjected, stepping forward with a shake of his head. “We can all smell it on him. Something ain’t right about him- he almost smells like a wolf. Like on of us, but not.” Behind him, Crowe and Tredd nodded in agreement, looking tense and on edge.

“… We will release him, but keep him under watch. Don’t let him know that we’re watching him. But I want eyes on him. I want to know where he’s from, and why we can’t find any documents on any Argentum family ever living inside of Insomnia,” Regis began, turning his gaze from the Galahdian medic to the man at his side. “Cor, I want for you to follow up with the reports of the… Attacks. Make a map of where each one has occurred, up to Prompto. I need to know if there is something happening.”

“Might I suggest something?” Sylva interjected, standing from her position at the opposite end of the meeting table. “Allow for Aurora to watch the boy. She has her… Little birds all over, after all. She could gather far more information than your Glaive could, and would be less conspicuous about it.” The Tenebraen ruler finished, looking to her son and his fiancé with a raised brow. Aurora flushed, and quickly stepped forward, hands clasped behind her.

“My lord, I assure you that my little birds will give me any and every single grain of information they find. It is easy to coerce children into doing your bidding, when under the right circumstances…” She trailed off, lips quirking up in a mischievous smile that sent a chill down Noctis’ spine.

“… I will allow it. I do believe, if that is all, that this meeting is adjourned?” Regis paused, looking around the room, waiting for anyone to speak up. When no one did, he nodded and rose, frowning. “I will meet with the boy. Gladiolus, Nyx, bring the car around. HE will be leaving shortly. Noctis- please refrain from attempting to jump him.” A wave of laughter drifted around the room as Noctis huffed, arms crossing over his chest as he followed after his father.

“Aurora, dear, how quickly can you get word to your birds?” Sylva asked as she stepped over to the younger, entwining their arms as they began to walk from the meeting room, Ravus and Lunafreya trailing behind. “I do hope soon.”

“As soon as the boy leaves, my queen.” Aurora replied easily, emerald hues sparkling in the low lighting of the hallway as she looked ahead, head held high. A pleased noise escaped Sylva as she released her arm and walked ahead, silver skirts barely making a sound as she moved to walk a step behind Regis and Noctis. “It seems our little canary will not be leaving the cat’s sight. I do love a chase,” the brunette purred, spinning, causing the periwinkle blue skirts of her dress to flare out. Lunafreya let out a soft laugh, shaking her head, as Ravus sighed.

“Work never seems to leave us, does it?” The prince shook his head, taking hold of Aurora’s hand and pulling her along, prompting a giggle to escape her as she quickly stepped up beside him. “Lunafreya, keep Noctis in check… We don’t need another accident. The last one was rather bloody and a pain in the ass to clean up.”

“Of course- though, I’m not his keeper,” Luna teased, parting from her brother and his fiancé to disappear down a hallway, the sheen of her silver hair slowly fading into the shadows.  


* * *

Prompto fumbled with the ends of the hoodie he’d been gifted, surprised at how soft the material was. It hung off his frame, falling clear to mid-thigh, but that was perfectly fine in his opinion. More room to move, to curl up in- plus, the sleeves were long enough that if he spun, they would flap out and slap someone. Perfection!  
“I do apologize for the trouble this has caused you,” Regis spoke as he lead the blond through the halls of the Citadel, their steps echoing. “If you’ve any trouble with your work, please, refer them to me and I will be more than happy to shoulder the blame.” His voice was still wonderfully smooth, velvety- it still made Prompto’s skin tingle and dance.

“I-ah, I think it was my fault for the trouble I caused you all. You could have just shipped me off to the hospital… I’msosorryaboutruiningyoursheets!” He exclaimed, turning and bowing low at the waist, gaining an amused chuckle in response.

“No need to bow, dear boy. Rise, rise.” Flushing, Prompto stood, balling up the ends of the sleeves in his hands as they made their way to the front, where everyone… stood. Oh. Oh, he was getting a royal send off and oh gods he was going to be sick they were all so imposing and pretty and oh no no no no-

“Gladiolus and Nyx will see you home. Do try to avoid getting into anymore trouble?” Regis teased, patting his shoulder. Prompto managed to get a squeak out in reply and nodded, keeping his head bowed as he quickly walked past the royals, though the sound of a sigh made him pause. Noctis, the prince, watched him go with a frown, brows furrowed.

“I’m… Sorry. For how I acted. I hope the next time we meet, it is under far better circumstances,” Noctis spoke, voice resembling the velvet of his father’s, though his was more… Uncontrolled. More emotion surged through it; Prompto found that he enjoyed the sound of it.

Nodding, he flashed the prince a bright smile, enjoying the startled look he received. “No problem, buddy! Take care!” With that, he turned and all but high tailed it out of there, taking the steps down from the doors of the citadel two at a time. A car waited, and oh God. That was a nice car. That was a really, really nice car. All black and sleek and were those blue lights under it? Swallowing thickly, he slowed to a stop as a man stepped forward, wearing a black button up- open and showing off some glorious abs.

“In you go,” he spoke, gesturing for Prompto to get into the back. That must be Gladiolus, because Nyx was in the driver’s seat. Nodding, he slid in, gawking at the leather interior. A deep, rich cherry, and so smooth and nice. Nicer than anything he would ever own in his life. Gladiolus slid into the passenger seat, and a moment later the car purred to life and took off down the highway. It was almost dawn, he noted, the sky shifting from midnight blues to navy and royal blue. No wonder why he was tired…

“Up and at ‘em, princess.” The voice shook him awake, cornflower blue hues squinting up at the figure standing over him. Oh. This was his apartment building. Right. Yawning, he thanked Nyx for the ride before sliding out and stretching. “I’ll be right back, Nyx. Gotta make sure blondie here makes it inside okay.”

The walk up to his apartment was silent, and awkward, and tense and everything Prompto didn’t want it to be. Once he reached his door, a large hand reached out and pulled it shut almost immediately after he opened it. Eyes widening, he turned, mouth open and ready to ask what the hell the guy’s problem was. Only to slam shut at the look in the fiery amber hues as Gladiolus leaned down, face level with his own.

“Let me explain one thing,” he began, voice low, barely a growl. It made Prompto think of hunger, or a tiger growling. Especially with the way the elongated fangs seemed to catch the light perfectly. A chill shivered down his spine, cold sweat breaking out on his palms as he backed up against his front door. Everything in him screamed for him to run, run from this predator that could kill him with no issue. “The whole, ‘Vampires will never hurt you’ romanticized bullshit? It’s all fake. We will hurt you. You smell _fantastic_ \- and it drives us all insane. Especially Noctis, and we don’t need any shocking tabloids of how the prince can’t control himself. So, it’d be best if you… Stay away, understand? Otherwise, I’d have to get my hands dirty and, well… I don’t wanna do that.”

With that said, Gladiolus pulled back. “Glad we could have this talk. Goodnight, Prompto.” The human could only watch as the man walked away, hands in his pockets, shoulders squared, and a pep in his step. And all Prompto wanted to do was slide to his knees and puke.

Which was exactly what he did the moment he got inside his apartment. Or, more along the lines of, ‘opened the door, ran to the bathroom, slid to his knees, and upchucked into the toilet before sitting back and tried not to piss himself from fear’. Yeah, that was more like it.

… Maybe he could call in sick. That would be a good idea.

A really, really good idea- the last one he had before he ended up falling asleep against the cool side of his bathtub, Insolo barking at him from outside the bathroom.


	3. Niflheim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tried uploading this chapter three times and each time I've found something wrong with the style of it and I'm ready to scream.  
> Anywho.  
> Mild gore warning in this chapter as we dive into the snowy abyss known as Niflheim.  
> Enjoy.  
> -Mel

_“The homeland of primordial darkness, cold, mist, and ice.”_ \- Norse Mythology, official description of Niflheim

* * *

Snowcapped mountains surrounded the city, a natural shield from the outside world. Eternal winter laid claim to the land, the ice melting for a mere two months each year before falling upon the Empire once more. The people had adapted, had grown used to the biting wind, the snow, the darkness. One would assume that no one would dare ever live in such an inhabitable place such as Niflheim, but then again, one would also assume that anyone who would live in Galahd would be insane.

Volcanoes were tricky, temperamental places to live. 

Ardyn Izunia pulled the bane jacket closer to himself, chin tucked down beneath the collar as if it would aid in keeping him warm. Damn Iedolas and his harebrained idea that the walkway leading into the palace should be a mile long, surrounded by snow dusted evergreens on either side. The gold peaks of the palace gleamed in the rare glimpse of sunlight- sunlight that gleamed off the snow, assaulting the sensitive corneas of his eyes.  
He really hated the snow.

“Afternoon, gentlemen,” Ardyn crooned to the guards stationed along the edge of the stairs as he all but sprinted up the steps, quickly making his way into the manor, the feeling of heat greeting him as soon as he opened the doors a welcome sensation. Slipping the gloves from his hands, jacket sliding off his shoulders, he glanced around, taking in the bustle of activity. A soundless chuckle shook his shoulders as he wove his way through the bustling secretaries and military grunts, making his way up to Aldercapt’s office. He was late, but fashionably so.

Or, that’s what he told himself. 

“About damn time you showed up,” Verstael croaked from the table, a cold smile curling the elder’s lips. A scowl tugged at the corner of Ardyn’s own, but he suppressed it, instead flashing an equally cold smile at the commander. Breezing into the room, he managed to pause and bow to Aldercapt, who looked rather amused at the argument between the men. 

“Pardon my late arrival, your grace. My… Informant was running late.” The auburn haired chancellor explained as he took his seat across from Verstael, to Iedolas’ right. Brows raising, he looked around the room curiously. In the corner stood a pair clothed head to toe in black cloth and silver armor, their faces obscured. “My, my- Glauca, Wraith, it certainly has been some time since I’ve seen either of your faces in this room! Tell me, how fairs our friends to the south?” Golden hues studied the pair; he honestly couldn’t remember having ever seen either’s face before.

That would need to change.

“We were just discussing that. Wraith, love, please continue,” Iedolas murmured, voice more of a light rasp than anything else these days. Oh, the torture of aging! Ardyn himself wouldn’t know how that felt- well, in theory, he _did_ age, just not… Quickly. 

“As I was saying, Tenebrae is suspicious, but not to the point of sending out any birds to scout. I’m most certain that they won’t make a move without Regis’ order-”

“They’ve done that before, dear. Before you were born,” Ardyn interrupted with a shake of his head. “They moved in quickly with the cover of a blizzard and slaughtered all of our poor, poor shifters. Though, that happened… How many years ago, Verstael?”

“One hundred and twenty.”

“Ah, yes, one hundred and twenty years ago, when the war came to an official end.” He finished, flashing a cheeky grin around the room. “And who of us was alive to even see that?” When no one answered, Ardyn nodded slowly. Oh, he’d been there. He’d been there and had watched as his brethren, as his kingdom, all came tumbling down. But no one here needed to know that. 

No one at all. At least, not yet. 

“ _As I was saying_ ,” Wraith began once more, through obviously gritted teeth behind the black cloth that hid her face from view, “They will not make a move without Regis’ order, due to Regis now overseeing the Glaive. Aside from that, there’s also the fact that the Fleuret coven is currently residing within Insomnia on a vacation of sorts.”  
“He wouldn’t risk sending out any sort of armada right now. Not when everything is peaceful and the people are prospering.” Glauca added in, shifting, the should of metal rubbing against leather whispering through the room. 

“Good, good… Now, tell me, Ardyn, what did your little informant tell you?” Iedolas probed, turning the attention from the pair in the corner to the man dressed rather flamboyantly in royal hues of reds and golds. 

“ _Well_ …” Ardyn began, straightening up in his chair, resembling a lion standing over his pride. “He said that there is a boy that matches the description that works for him in Insomnia. Blond hair, blue eyes, freckles… He’s quiet, and he used to have a brother… Verstael, didn’t your escaped experiment have a brother? Oh, what was his name…” Ardyn trailed off, golden hues zeroing in on the scientist. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as the man shifted, jaw clenching. “Oh, right- he was named after the Trickster, wasn’t he? Loqi, that was his name…” 

“Loqi Tummelt. The other one hadn’t been given a name yet- he was still in the testing stages when that brat took him and fled.” Verstael hissed out, hands smoothing over the surface of the table. His hands were pale, scarred, the signs of endless hours in the lab evident.

“Glauca, Wraith- I want you both in Insomnia… I want you two to find the escaped experiments… Without them, Niflheim will fall.” With that, Iedolas stood, which prompted for the other occupants to quickly rise as well and bow, holding position until the Emperor walked out, Verstael following suit. Ardyn lingered, watching as the secretaries scattered, running off to inform everyone of what they’ve learned, no doubt.

They’re all mice. Scattering so quickly, so easily.

Pawns in a game of thrones. 

Humming under his breath, he made his way over to the pair who were talking quietly with one another, though the conversation seemed to halt once he was within earshot. “Oh, no, don’t stop on account of me.” He taunted, reaching out as if to touch the edge of the mask covering Wraith’s face. So close…

Her hand shot out, an iron grip wrapping around his wrist, the edges of claw-like hand guards digging into his skin. “Did I say you could come near me, or touch me, Izunia?” She hissed, voice lilted with the Tenebraen accent. “I did not. Touch me again and I will have your head resting on a spike, you disgusting mongrel.”

“Oho, Glauca, you need to keep a tighter leash on this one.” Ardyn mused, all but ripping his arm free, ignoring the sting from skin being ripped open. Oh, well. It would heal shortly. “Otherwise, she might end up in an unsightly position… And we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Humming once more, he breezed from the room, head held high, a pep in his step. 

“I hate him.”

_‘Oh, darling, everyone hates me. I’m the reason the war began, after all.’_  


* * *

“Explain to me again why we have to listen to that disgusting man once more?” The woman asked, pulling the black fabric mask from her face, icy hues falling closed as she allowed her skin to breathe. The man beside her let out a snort of laughter, removing his own helm before running a hand through his short, brown hair.

“Because we owe him our lives. He’s the reason you’re alive, Ater- or, should I say, Wraith?” He replied, glancing down at the petite vampire with a fond smile, whiskey hues surveying her appearance as she undressed. The scars that stretched down her back were a painful reminder of just what sort of beast he was, what sort of beast they had made him to be. If she had been human, he would have killed her. 

He almost did kill her, even so.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Titus- or, should I say, _Glauca_ ,” Ater snapped back, undoing the metal hand guards and allowing them to fall onto the hotel bed. “… So, Insomnia. I’ve never been there… What’s it like? I heard it’s the City that Never Sleeps…” She trailed off, untying her black hair from the bun it had been in, allowing it to cascade down to the small of her back in gentle waves.

“It’s a lot louder than Tenebrae, and more… Free. Regis reigns over it, sure, but the public has a loose leash. The blood banks are more taboo here than in Tenebrae, as well.” Sighing, he pulled the metal-enforced shirt over his head, relief flooding through him as the weight disappeared. “It’s a corrupt place, really… Now that I think of it, it’d be right up your alley.” Reaching over, he traced a finger down her spine, watching the way a shiver followed in its path. 

“We don’t have time for this- I need to get back to Tenebrae before hauling ass to Insomnia, and _you_ ,” Ater paused, turning to place a hand in the center of Titus’ chest, directly over three gnarled scars, “need to return to Insomnia before I do. We can’t have Regis getting curious, now can we?” She purred, lifting up onto her toes to place a kiss against the corner of Drautos’ lips. 

He turned his head, capturing her lips in a kiss before she could pull away, a hand coming up to grasp the back of her neck, holding her in place. Deepening the kiss, he ran his tongue along her lip before pulling back, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. Ater huffed, reaching up to pat his cheek. 

“I’ll see when you when I get to Insomnia, alright? Stay safe, stay hidden.” Ater murmured, brows furrowing as she dropped her hand and stepped back, shoulders squaring. Slipping back into the persona known as Wraith, an assassin hidden within the shadows. Sighing, he stepped aside and let her slip past, starting to redress in traveling clothes. Black on black on black- no metal in sight, though he knew for a fact that her bots were lined with metal, and the undershirt she was pulling on had reinforced leather that could at least dampen the damage of a fist. Seeing her slip so easily into the Wraith sent a chill down his spine, though he knew he was the exact same when it came to becoming Glauca. Drautos sometimes wondered which side of her was the real Ater.

Sometimes he wondered which side was the real one- Wraith and Glauca or Drautos and Ater?  


* * *

The halls echoed with each footstep, a reminder of how the times have changed. Once, these halls teemed with activity. Once, these halls held the images of his ancestors, the line of the Lucis Caelum, before they were tainted. Tainted because of what his father did. Tainted, forever cursed. The archways before him lead into a grand ballroom- or, what was once a grand ballroom, no doubt.

Now, all that stood was a ruined marble floor, marble columns, and a ceiling that no longer existed. The sky was now the ceiling, and snow had gathered on the floor in drifts, icicles hanging from the broken off pieces of what was once a domed ceiling. Oh, the parties that had been held in this hall! He could remember listening to the string quartet in the corner, the voices of the royal families and their friends drifting, mingling.

Now, all Ardyn could see were the stains of the fallen beneath the snow drifts. 

His jaw clenched as memories of that night drifted into the forefront of his memory. There had been a ceasefire declared between Niflheim and Tenebrae. An entire ball had been thrown together, and all of Niflheim had turned out. Insomnia had politely declined the invitation, stating they wished them all well, but they needed to focus on grieving King Mors’ death. Tenebrae had also declined, but had given no formal explanation.

That in and of itself should have sent up warning signs, but all attention was on the ball and the end of the war.  


* * *

_The blizzard had rolled in during the most auspicious of times, cloaking Niflheim within its wintry grasp. But that didn’t stop the populous from donning their finest of dress and suits, making their way to the grand palace for the night’s events. The ball was a sign of the war finally coming to an end after all these years, a sign of peace and tranquility._  
Ardyn had been groomed and made to look presentable once more, dressed impeccably in a suit of dark maroon and gold. Izunia had come in and reminded him once more of their time being pressed, which was no real worry. Fashionably late, as always.

_The wind was cold, colder than any wind he’d ever felt before in his life. It cut him to the bone, and sounded as if the skies itself were crying, howling, screaming into the dark night. It sent a chill through him, his hair standing on end. But the wine he was offered the moment he entered through the large golden doors warmed him; wine imported from the northern most portion of Tenebrae._

_As time passed, it seemed to slow. The dancers moved in dazzling circles, Ardyn amongst them dancing with first one girl in a dress of gold, then another in a gown of red, over and over until the faces began to blur. The time of his life, he’d thought to himself. It was a relief, to be away from the carnage of the battlefield, to be celebrating with his people._

_Then, the doors were shutting._

_He’d thought nothing of it- if anything, it would keep the warmth within the ballroom and keep the chill of eternal winter outside. In fact, he was certain that was what everyone was thinking. The more warmth, the better. Shifters they may be, but not all of them were fit for the cold. He himself was gifted with being able to handle the chill of winter, but others…_

_That was why there was a colony of werewolves in Galahd, where winter never reached and summer reigned supreme._

_He thought nothing of the way the girl in the blue dress, hair the color of silver, of mercury, lead him off of the floor and to the side, a smile of promise upon her blood red lips. The way her violet eyes danced with mischief behind the ornate ivory mask that graced her cheeks. No, his mind was far away, drunken and swimming. He didn’t register something had happened, something was wrong, until she leaned forward and her lips brushed against his cheek._

_“That was for my father, Achilleus.” She had whispered into his ear as the pain began to settle into his stomach, and as he looked from the flawless face, the tears streaming down it, to his stomach, where a blade of black was pulling free from his clothes. Blood had already begun to bloom out, turning the maroon darker, almost black. He made a croaking sound- he tried to cry out, to yell, to warn everyone that Tenebrae was here._

_That Tenebrae had come, and brought swift revenge with them._

_He’d slipped to the floor, hands grasping at his stomach, and watched in horror as the flames in the ornate fireplace grew higher and higher until the embers began to roll out, and with them came the horrid screams and the scent of burning flesh. The torches had been doused, and all Ardyn could see were the burning corpses of his people. He wanted to get up, to move- but his limbs wouldn’t listen to him. It was as if he was chained to the ground, as if lead had been poured into his veins._

_Izunia was fighting, was trying to shift, his skin beginning to tear- but he was stopping, unable to finish the shift. His teeth had already fallen out, the muzzle of a grey wolf ripping free of his face, the human skin pushing back, blood running like tiny rivers across his maw, his eyes- the eyes of a wolf had overtaken those of a human. But the human skin was still there, the shift unfinished. And then, he was falling, falling, the sword pulling free from his back. He hadn’t made a sound, not one, but Ardyn knew- he knew the pain that it must have caused._

_And as if that wasn’t bad as is, that damned silver haired bitch lowered a torch to his corpse- to IZUNIA’S CORPSE- and lit it aflame. And then she just stood, and watched.  
They all stood and just watched as they burned. As his people burned. He could hear the screams from outside, the townsfolk screaming. Gods have mercy, they were slaughtering them all. Tenebrae had come and reaped all their souls like the damned soulless bastards they were._

_“Izunia-IZUNIA. Don’t…” Ardyn croaked, lurching forward to half crawl, half slide towards the shifter, towards his mate. Even if they acted as if they hated one another, it was never true. Not behind closed doors; he could never hate his prince. He barely noticed the boots that were walking slowly beside him, nor the blade whose tip drug along the ground. He reached out with shaking hands before he was roughly dragged backwards by his ankles. A ragged scream wretched free from his lungs as the wound in his stomach tore more and more, ripping open._

_He flipped himself over, staring up at the young face looming over him, lilac hues surveying his prone form. The left side of his body seemed to be burned- had he caught fire? Good. He could reach up, he could punch- but his energy had already been spent just crawling over here. Now- now, he was at the mercy of this… This vampire. “You… You killed my father. Achilleus. I watched you rip his head from his shoulders. I was there. A son should never have to watch his father die, don’t you think? I find this… Beautiful. A beautiful play of revenge worthy of song. Remember my name- I refuse to kill you. I want you to tell of this day. Ravus Nox-Fleuret. Remember my name, filthy mutt.”_

_The man, no, the boy sneered down at him as he straightened, the tip of the blade dragging slowly across Ardyn’s throat. Not pressing down, not tearing the skin- only a threat. His mind was fogging over- was the dagger poisoned? That would make sense, because his hearing was going out as well. Or maybe he’d simply lost too much blood. Either way, shadows were creeping in at the edges of his vision as he watched the group of Tenebraen vampires walk out, leaving the doors open, allowing the winter to find solace in this temple of burning corpses._

_“Izunia… Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me alone in this world… please… don’t…”_  


* * *

Ardyn shifted, reaching up to wipe the single tear that had fallen down his cheek. A scowl turned his lips downward as he turned sharply on his heel, stalking away and out of the ruins. They would pay. All of Tenebrae would pay for the sins their monarchs had committed against the good, innocent people of Niflheim. He remembered waking days afterwards, nearly frozen and to the sounds of weeping mothers. The sight of houses burned to the ground and of the funeral piers of those not having perished in the flames.

They had reached out to Insomnia for aid, and received no response.

Tenebrae would pay. Sylva Nox-Fleuret would pay. Ravus Nox-Fleuret would pay.

They would burn, just as his love had, just has his people had. Just as his empire had.

“Ardyn, could I spare a moment of your time? I need to go over where we will be sending our troops…” The voice of Aranea Highwind called to him, making him pause in his steps, a cold smile curling his lips upward. Yes, Tenebrae would pay in blood and bone, and so would Insomnia, and soon.

“Why, of course, my dear….”


	4. Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, and I apologize for that. But, I'm back! Finally. After... Well, at least three months? Sorry for the sudden hiatus, blame college. On the bright side, I have quite a bit typed up & ready to post!  
> So, enjoy this more calm and simple chapter, for this is the last nice one for a while...  
> -ChaoticMimzy

Chapter IV: Work

_“We live in an age where everything is staged.”_  
-Jon Bellion, Woke The F*ck Up

* * *

“So, listen…” Dino began, making Prompto freeze and look down at his keyboard, suddenly overwhelm with guilt. “Look, I ain’t mad at ya or anythin’, but… I gotta know, did ya manage to get any pictures? I know you were all cooped up in a hospital room an’ all but…” Dino trailed off, leaning his hip against Prompto’s desk. Dino wasn’t a really imposing man, not really, but he could be unnerving when he wanted to be. Especially with how light his eyes were. They were almost unearthly, if he were being honest.

Oh, right. Photographs.

“Yeah! Yeah, I got some- hang on…” Pushing his glasses up his nose, he quickly turned his attention to his computer, pulling up the file with a nervous grin. He hadn’t even had the time to look through the photographs yet, let alone retouch any of them. In fact, ever since his accidental meeting with Regis and then being threatened by Gladiolus, all he’d done was sleep. Then again, considering how he had still been healing, that wasn’t very shocking.

“Lemme just…” Tongue poking out from between his lips, he double clicked and brought up the first picture of the cars arriving before the Citadel. The next was a close-up shot of the bodyguard whose name he knew now to be Nyx Ulric- actually, the next few shots were of him. He could hear Dino whistling softly in surprise behind him, making him sit up straighter, pride swelling up within his chest. “Told ya I’d get them,” he teased, looking up at his boss as the next picture came up, this one of Sylva, Lunafreya, Ravus, and his fiancée, Aurora. “The girl’s name is Aurora; family’s upper class Tenebraen, fiancée to Ravus Nox Fleuret.”

“Ya did good, kid. I’m impressed. Go in and retouch some of ‘em, and then send t’me.” Dino praised with a grin, reaching down to ruffle Prompto’s hair before leaving Prompto’s office, pulling his phone out. Prompto leaned back in his chair, a bright grin on his face as he nodded to himself.

“Hell yes I did good. There ain’t a better photographer in Insomnia than me!” He whispered, doing a little dance in his chair before accidentally pushing his chair back, prompting a squeak to escape him as he spun quickly. “NONONONO- Aw, man. I just got those magazines organized!” He whined, watching as the pile fell to the floor. 

“Aurora’s her name. Didn’t get much else outta him, but I’ve got pictures. That is, if you got money…”

_“Don’t you worry, you’ll get your money. As soon as I have those pictures…”_

“Right, right. Whattya want wit’ him anyways? He ain’t no one, not that I can tell. Family ain’t rich and he ain’t a looker…”

_“Don’t worry yourself with what I want. You just send those images along to me, pet.”_

“Yessir.” Dino sighed, ending the call with a frown as he pocketed his phone. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over his shoulder at the blond. Oh, well. It wasn’t his problem. Not now, anyways. Maybe later. Maybe not. He’d decide when he got his money.

* * *

“So, then I sort of… Fumbled my words? And it was just- they were so intense, Cindy! So. Fricken. Intense.” Prompto whined, collapsing down onto the red leather couch beside the mechanic, who let out a soft laugh. 

“Well, whaddya expect? They ain’t your run of the mill folk, now.” She replied with a shrug as she reached over, grabbing a container of fried rice. “But I’on want you t’go near ‘em anymore, y’hear? Vamps and shifters- they ain’t good news, Prom.” Sighing, she shrugged, reaching over Prompto’s leg to grab hold of a separate container containing lamb in black pepper sauce. “I’m jus’ tryin’ ta look out for you, you know that.”

“I know, I know…” Prompto muttered, grabbing a container of Chow Fun and dumping the contents of his own General Tsao’s Chicken and ginger beef into, quickly mixing the contents together. “But- Cindy, you wouldn’t believe the way these guys look! Like, ho my god. Noctis’ eyes are so… Pretty? And the girl- Aurora- was so nice and gentle! She even petted my head, Cindy!” He whined, leaning over to all but rest majority of his weight on the blond.

“Buddy, I ain’t gonna argue with you. They are very pretty, even I can’t deny that. But I still want you t’be careful.” Sighing, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple, making Prompto freeze up, cheeks flushing as he quickly sat up and reached for the remote. “Oh, oh! My favorite show is on! Amber’s Anatomy!” She squealed, hunkering down into the couch with a bright grin. “I wanna know if Amber White is gonna go with McDreary or if she gonna leave him behind!”

“I have no idea what you just said but okay,” Prompto shrugged, stuffing his face with noodles and chicken and beef, groaning at the taste. Gods above, he loved takeout more than anything. Though, Galahdian takeout was far better, he’d settle for classic Insomnian. “Okay, so who’s who?”

“Okay, so, Amber is the lead character, righ’? And she’s a doctor who gets all tangled up in a messy love triangle with Doctor Terrier and this other lady, and her mother was a doctor, too! And then there’s…”

He’d ended up crashing on Cindy’s couch, Cindy falling asleep in the recliner, the sounds of Amber’s Anatomy in the background. By the time morning came, Cindy was already in the shower singing along to some old country song, and Prompto was left to throw out all their trash from the night before. They’d fallen asleep before they could manage to save any of the takeout, sadly. 

Humming, he went to work cleaning, picking up the boxes and tossing them into the trash bag. The sound of the bathroom door opening made him look up, only to catch Cindy shuffling out in a bright blue, fuzzy robe, her hair hanging in damp ringlets around her face. Wow, she looked like an angel…

“Aw, shuga! You don’ gotta go an’ clean up all this by yourself!” Cindy cooed, a grin spreading across her lips as she leaned against the bathroom door. “But it is most definitely a welcome gesture.” Yawning, she made her way over to her bedroom the door falling shut behind her. “I can whip us up some grub after I get dressed!” She hollered, making Prompto pause, box of rice almost tipping over.

“Sure, sounds great!” He yelled back, going back to his job of lifting the trash bag out of the trash and tying it closed. Lifting it up with a grunt, he walked over to the trash chute and let it fall down before turning and leaning against the wall with a yawn. Normally, he’d go for a run now, but the promise of Cindy’s cooking kept him here. A skip day wouldn’t hurt, right? Right. At least, that was his reasoning. 

“Now, what’re we feelin’ this mornin’? Personally, I wanna scarf down some omlettes…”

Breakfast done, kitchen cleaned, Prompto was about to head out when a knock on the door made him pause. “C’n ya get that?” Cindy called from her bedroom. “I would but I got half a face of makeup on and I don’ wanna scare no ones!” Snorting, the blond rolled his eyes and set his bag down, walking over to the front door. He looked through the peephole, only to be greeted with the sight of a red and black sweater. And a rather… Ample. Chest. Coughing, he quickly unlatched the lock and swung the door open, cornflower blue hues widening at the sight.

“Is Cindy home?” The woman asked, jade hues sizing him up. Prompto suddenly felt incredibly small compared to this woman- her piercing gaze, the silver hair that was tied up in a high pony tail, the menacing motorcycle boots… “Hey, kid. If Cindy isn’t home, just tell me instead of staring at me like you’ve never seen a woman before.”

Startling, Prompto quickly took a step back. “Ye-yeah, she’s in her room…” He trailed off, watching as the woman stepped past him with a smirk, throwing a wink in his direction. Squeaking in a rather unmanly way, he quickly shut the door and watched her poke her head into Cindy’s bedroom, prompting a squeal of delight.

“Aranea! I didn’t know you’d be in today!” Cindy exclaimed, and threw her arms around Aranea’s shoulders. Oh. Oh. So this was Cindy’s girlfriend- the motorcycle girl. The one who worked as a battlefield photographer. The one that Prompto may or may not have been extremely jealous over when he first found out that Cindy wasn’t interested in men at all. “Prompto, c’mere! I wan’ ya t’meet Aranea!” Cindy yelled, and without realizing it, he was moving towards the pair.

“Aranea, meet Prompto! He’s my buddy- I’ve known him for over six years now!” Cindy introduced with a grin, winking at Prompto. “Prompto, meet Aranea. Y’know we’ve been dating for over a year now- the light of my life.” She flushed, leaning into Aranea. “I’ve been wantin’ y’all to meet for a while now! But with Aranea’s crazy schedulin’ and yer crazy schedulin’… At least y’all getta meet now!” 

Prompto shifted, flashing a small smile before holding his hand out. “Nice to meet you!” He managed to get out before Aranea took hold of his hand in a strong grip. 

“Like wise.” She replied in a smooth voice that sent chills across his skin. Something seemed… Familiar about her. He couldn’t place it, though. Oh, well. It wasn’t important. “Anyway, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by to see my favorite girl.” She explained, leaning over to peck Cindy’s cheek.

Clearing his throat, Prompto rubbed the back of his head and began backing away. “I’ll just leave you guys alone…” With that, he quickly grabbed his bag and quickly left the apartment, the sound of Cindy hollering ‘bye’ echoing in the hallway. He couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity from his conscience- that woman, Aranea… He knew he had seen her before. Her voice, her eyes… They were so familiar. 

Maybe he was just imagining things. Maybe he’d seen her in a crowd once, or maybe at a party. Yeah, that was it.

… Hopefully.

The rest of his day was uneventful, what with it being Saturday and all, he hadn’t needed to go into work. Though, he could have spent it going through all the pictures he’d taken before the accident, but… Nah. Instead, he’d gone out and treated himself to a sushi dinner, making sure to stop by the market on the way home to pick up food for breakfast (and some spare fish for the cats at the apartment complex).

Being home now, with Insolo curled up against him, was comforting. To be surrounded with familiarity. He was warm, and comfortable, and his bed was comfortable and the rain hitting against the glass of his window was perfect…

He fell asleep. 

Or, at least, he thought he was asleep. But he was… Outside? And there was snow on the ground, and all around him. This wasn’t the park- or, well, anywhere he was familiar with. At least, not personally. Was this Niflheim? The layout looked the same form the pictures he’d seen in high school. But he wasn’t cold- shouldn’t he be cold? It was snowy, the wind was blowing- he could hear it howling.

Wait…

That wasn’t the wind. 

Spinning around, he came face to face with a large black wolf, eyes as black as it’s fur. He tried to scream, but no noise came out. No noise, even as the light began to fade and the wolf began to lurk closer and closer. He fell to his knees, ready to accept his fate when a new sound ripped through the air. A cry. A baby’s cry. He pushed himself up, spinning around, looking for the wolf but not finding him. Brows furrowing, he turned, and stilled. Two babies, swaddled up, were left on a large flat stone.

He walked closer to them, snow crunching beneath his feet, a hand outstretched. But something wasn’t right- they weren’t moving. They weren’t making any noise. It wasn’t right. When he reached them, he leaned closer, and quickly moved back, eyes widening in surprise. They were babies, yes- but their throats were… Their throats were ripped out. Blood stained their blankets, and the stone around them. A growl sounded over his shoulder, making him turn. “You were never supposed to leave.” The jaws came down, closing around his throat-

Prompto jolted awake, sitting up in bed with the remnants of a yell leaving his lips. He quickly slipped from his head and ran to the bathroom, doubling over the toilet to dry heave. His heart was pounding in his chest- was he having a heart attack? Or just an anxiety attack? He didn’t know, he didn’t care. But it hurt.

Pushing up from the toilet, he stepped over to the sink and ran the tap cold, cupping the water in his hands and splashing his face with it. Looking up at his reflection, he startled, surprised at the… Lilac? Hues that stared back at him. Blinking, he leaned forward, only to see that his eyes were back to their normal blue…

Shaking his head, he shuffled back to his bed, calling Insolo back to cuddle. Maybe he was just… Sleep deprived. Yeah. That would make sense- people started to hallucinate when they were sleep deprived! That’s what was wrong.

* * *

“It’s him. I’m certain of it.” The woman spoke into the phone quietly, black coat pulled tight around her, cloaking her in the shadows. “Blond hair, blue eyes, freckles… What do you want me to do?”

_“Nothing. Do nothing. Raise no suspicion. We got what we wanted.”_ The voice replied, sounding relieved and stressed at the same time. The woman nodded and ended the call, slipping her phone back into a pocket in her coat. 

“Come back to bed,” the voice of her lover called, pulling her back into the apartment with a smile curling her lips, jade hues dancing in amusement.


	5. 5.1: Galahd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long to update this. Hopefully, this chapter and the next will explain quite a bit as to what's happening, where this story is heading, etc.  
> Within the next few chapters, things will be heating up- both in good and bad ways. I'm thinking around chapter 7, we'll officially be diving into some NSFW territory featuring our favorite blond chocobo and raven haired vampire.  
> For now, enjoy the gore that is coming.

_“Land of bear and land of eagle, land that gave us birth and blessing. Land that called us ever homewards; we will go home across the mountains.”_  
- _Song of Exile_ , King Arthur

* * *

The room was full of men and women dressed in black leather, each uniform slightly altered to suit each individual. Nyx stood in front, studying the wall as Tredd and Axis spoke to the left of him, describing their events from the night prior. Jaw clenching at the way both spoke so openly about their affairs, he drew in a slow, calming breath. It wouldn’t do any good to lose his temper- not when he was already walking on hot coals.

“Calm down, you look like you’re five seconds away from ripping out someone’s throat.” Crowe teased from behind as she slunk up on him, giving a gentle punch to his shoulder. She stood straight and proud, shoulders squared and chin high. “Any idea about what this emergency meeting’s about?” She questioned, brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“No idea. Just got the call this morning in the middle of breakfast.” Nyx replied with a shrug, reaching up to run a hand through his dark brown mohawk. Truth be told, he’d just sat down with Libertus, more than ready to eat the omelet that had been made, when both of their pagers had gone off. Five minutes later, they were dressed and running out of their apartment, leaping over the neighbor’s golden retriever, Beth. 

“I just know that I’m starving and that omelet looked absolutely amazing.” Libertus chimed in with a pout, hand sliding down Nyx’s spine to rest in the small of his back. To any outsider, it seemed a normal enough gesture, but to the two of them, it meant more. So much more. “By the way-”

“Attention!” Came the sharp tone of Luche’s voice, echoing throughout the room. Simultaneously, all conversation ceased as the members of the Glaive fell in line, hands crossed behind their backs and shoulders squared, feet shoulder’s breadth apart and chins up. Luche fell in line beside Nyx, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

“At ease,” Titus Drautos drawled out, sauntering into the room. He watched as his troops all relaxed almost immediately, though without breaking face. “Apologies for sending out such an errant message so early in the morning. I’m well aware that many of you are currently off duty, so I thank you for showing up despite that.” Clearing his throat, he settled into the front middle of the room, arms relaxed at his sides. His armor gleaned in the morning sun that shone through the windows, maroon and onyx intermingling with one another. The glimmer of chainmail peeked through the joints of the armor.

Armor, Nyx noted, that was normally reserved for war council meetings. Or worse.

“I wouldn’t have called you here had it not been important.” The tone he used was one full of dread and low burning anger. It sent a chill across Nyx’s skin, and beside him, he could feel Luche tense up, immediately submitting to the alpha shifter. “It was brought to my attention early this morning that all communications with Galahd have suddenly ceased. As you all know, Niflheim has ceased all methods of communication with Insomnia, Tenebrae, and Galahd.” Pausing, he shifted his stance, looking at his feet before back up at the troops before him. “King Regis has ordered a state of emergency for Galahd, and we have been ordered to head to the islands immediately. Galahd has been compromised.”

The silence was near deafening as the words begin to sink in. Nyx couldn’t breathe- his lungs felt as if they had been ripped from his ribcage. “What do you mean, Glahad’s been compromised?” Nyx demanded, starting forward only to be pulled back by Libertus’ gentle hand. “The hell does that mean, Drautos?”

“Exactly what is sounds like. Nilfheim launched a covert attack, and all communication with Galahd has ceased.” Drautos answered, lips pressing into a hard line.

It was as if a lead weight had been dropped into his stomach. Eyes wide, Nyx took a slow step back, leaning his weight into the solid mass of Libertus. No. No, not Selena. Not his little sister, not his mother. “When do we ship out?” Libertus asked, an arm curling around Nyx’s waist, holding him steady. 

“Two hours. Go home, get packed, and report back at 1200. That’s all- dismissed.” Drautos sighed, leaning back against the wall as he watched the men and women he’d trained make their way out. Majority of them came from Galahd, the last safehold for shifters. And now, Galahd was gone. He hadn’t been warned of this beforehand- Glauca hadn’t been told that this would be happening. It was as much of a blow to the gut as it was to them.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was on the right side of history.

* * *

“I’ve got a spare bag kept in my dorm.” Pelna murmured, reaching over to steal one of Luche’s grapes. Luche scowled and swiped idly at the other, though he didn’t outright scold him.

“I gotta drop back by my apartment to grab my things… Nyx- you okay there? You look a little pale…” Libertus asked softly, reaching over to place a cool hand against the Galahdian’s forehead, checking his temperature. Frowning, his hand dropped when Nyx pulled away, shaking his head.

“I’ve… Gotta go grab some things from the dorm. I’ll meet you back here in an hour,” with that, the lieutenant turned and walked off quickly, ignoring the calls of his friends. Libertus would understand, as would Pelna… But Crowe, Luche, Tredd- they wouldn’t. Their homes were still intact, they still had communications with their families. But Galahd could be wiped off the face of fucking Eos for all he knew. His sister was still there, as was his mother-

Abruptly doubling over, he dry heaved, eyes squeezing shut. The anxiety that ran through his veins wasn’t helping the fact that he’d yet to eat over the past few days. Libertus’ shift had come with the moon cycle reaching it’s peak, so he’d had to remain near him. He had to make sure he would be okay, that he wouldn’t hurt himself- or anyone else, for that matter. The whole pack had their own quarters, their safe zones, where they could go through the entire shift with little to no problem. Being the only one who didn’t shift, who physically was incapable of shifting, it was Nyx’s job to just sit and watch, keep an eye on them. Drautos would come and sit with him in his wolf form; how his shifts were never painful and always went smoothly, Nyx would never understand.

His father had been a natural born shifter, but his mother was a human, meaning it had always been a fifty/fifty chance of him getting the genes. By the time he was sixteen, when everyone else in his age group had already shown signs of having the shifter genes that ran so strongly in the colonies, he hadn’t. It didn’t derail him, not at first- not when he still had Libertus by his side. That is, until that day came. It had been shortly after the autumnal equinox celebrations had taken place, and everyone was still in celebration mode, which was why no one had noticed the strange man with the blond hair that had tempted Nyx with candy. He should have known better.  
Gods, he should have known better.

He’d led him farther and farther away from the center of the village, until they were on the outskirts, away from the mass public and all alone. And then… Wincing, Nyx reached up to ghost his fingers over the scars on the side of his neck, indentions of teeth that will never leave. The pain had been brutal, enough that he’d blacked out. From what he’d been told afterwards, Libertus had found him nearly drained dry and it had triggered his shift, which had alerted the other alphas within the village. When they arrived, Libertus had covered Nyx’s body with his own and would growl whenever anyone got too close; it took a group of four betas just to be able to get him freed from Lib. 

He still remembered the way his father looked whenever the news came that Nyx had the venom of the vampire within his system, that he would be dying and be reborn within a few days. The way his mother sobbed by his bed, how Selena had curled up against him and held onto him as tightly as her ten-year old self could, how she’d whispered prayers beneath her breath for Nyx’s safety. 

The last time he’d seen his father had been when he’d still been human, the last day. He remembered how hard it had been to breathe, how difficult it was to keep his eyes open, how weak he felt. He was freezing, shivering, despite being drenched in sweat. His father had placed one of his kukri’s beside the bed, had pressed a kiss to his forehead, and left with his uncle and four other alphas from the village. Nyx ‘died’ that night, and in the morning- he’d been reborn into a new creature. One that winced when daylight spilled in, who vomited whenever he attempted to eat actual food, who stayed locked in his room away from the rest of the village for days on end.

His father never returned. They found his clothes, and blood- a lot of blood, matted fur, but not a body. None of the bodies. Six men seemed to have disappeared into thin air. There had been search parties for months, Nyx leading them in the night further and further into the Galahdian forests, all the way to the canyon, where the earth seemed to just be split into two halves. Nothing ever came up, and slowly, the village moved on.

Nyx and Libertus had left by age eighteen, meeting Pelna and Crowe on their way to the mainland; a call to arms had gone out. The King was gathering a team designed to offer higher protection to the people than what the normal King’s Guard could offer. They would be called the Kingsglaive, if they managed to pass the opening test. Two hundred came to attempt, and only half of them managed to make it through. As the years went by, their numbers began to go down as peace settled across the lands. It’d been ten years since Nyx had been able to make an official trip home, and now?

Now he would be going home to possible ruins.

Gritting his teeth, he made his way down the halls, towards the ornate, large onyx doors. Beyond lay the prince’s chambers, and within there would he find solace. He felt disgusting, having to do this- but he had no other choice. None of the Glaive could help, not even Libertus, and gods know he had tried time and time again to help. But the blood of a shifter had a rancid taste, one that made Nyx sick to his stomach to even smell, let alone feed from. 

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” came Noctis’ voice as Nyx rose his hand to knock, making him pause mid-action before he instead changed direction, opening the doors and slipping inside. The sharp tang of iron hit him as he closed the doors. 

“Starting without me? How rude,” he replied with a snort, turning and pausing once more at the sight of Lady Lunafreya sprawled out across the bed, her ivory slip barely covering herself. Jaw clenching, he forced himself to walk forwards, memories of their past together slamming to the forefront of his mind. “I’ve got to leave in an hour. We’re shipping out to Galahd.”

Noctis frowned, sitting up from his reclined position on the daybed, studying Nyx’s face for a moment before sliding off of the bed and making his way over, magenta hues filled with worry. “Do they know if there’s any survivors?” He asked softly, reaching up to cup the Galahdian’s cheek, thumb stroking along the skin below his eye gently. It was rare to see the younger vampire so worked up like this.

Leaning into the touch, Nyx exhaled softly and shook his head. “I’ve no idea. I don’t wish to bother either of you… But, I need-” he broke off, wincing. He hated this, hated being so _different_ from the rest of the Glaives; he felt the need to constantly hide away these urges. “I need access to the vault. I don’t wish to be out in the field and someone be hurt and lose control.” He explained, oceanic hues finally meeting magenta. 

Sighing, Noctis leaned up, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Nyx’s lips. “Come on, let’s go.” He whispered, leaning back and glancing over at Lunafreya. “You should probably head back to your room…” He suggested, brow raising as he watched her slowly rise, a glint in her violet hues.

“You’re right. Nyx, it’s so nice to see you again. I do hope… You will come back and visit us?” She mused, a hint of a smile curling her lips, though none of the kindness that she alluded shone in her eyes. No, a cold, calculating look was there instead. Nyx gave a tense nod and stepped to the side, watching as the royal flowed out of the doors, not bothering to close them behind her.

“You two still aren’t on good terms?” Nyx questioned as Noctis lead him out of the bedroom and back into the drafty halls, the only other sound that of Nyx’s boots hitting the marble flooring. 

“We’ll never be on good terms again.” Came the definitive answer, making Nyx fall silent. Memories of that night flowed back to the forefront of his mind.

_“You act as if you don’t love me!” Noctis yelled, tears filling his eyes as he stood across from Lunafreya, who was calmly drinking her blood wine, studying the princeling with a curious expression. One could almost say it was the same expression a scientist would wear when watching an experiment play out._

_“This marriage is not out of love, Noctis. You know full well that this is purely a political move. Which is why we have a third party…” She trialed off, looking towards where Nyx stood as still as a statue, cerulean hues wide in shock. “We both find him attractive, and you certainly get as much pleasure out of him as I do.” She continued with a shrug, setting her wine aside and pulling her robe closer to herself._

_“I apologize for interrupting, your majesties… But I came to say that I can no longer be a part of this- this ménage à trios. My heart belongs to Libertus, and I cannot bear to be a part of this and also be a part of him. I can’t. I apologize, Noctis, Luna- but this is the end. And I think it’s best, since it’s obvious you two are having issues.” Nyx finished, jaw clenching as he looked from Lunafreya’s cold gaze to Noctis’ heartbroken one. “I beg your forgiveness.” With that said, he quickly backed out, closing the door soundly._

_The sound of a glass hitting the door accompanied by a sob made his calm walk turn into a sprint as his own heart began to shatter. But this was the right thing. He couldn’t bear sleeping with both of them, only to return to Libertus in the morning and bear witness to the grimace on the shifter’s face when the mingled scents of sex, Noctis, and Lunafreya hit him. He couldn’t do that to Libertus any longer._

_He wouldn’t._

_He ran all the way from the Citadel to his apartment, fumbling with the lock before falling in and all but running to the bedroom, where Libertus was still awake. “I’m done. I did it.” He explained before Lib could even get a word out, kicking off his shoes and collapsing onto the bed beside him. “I’m yours, and you are mine. For now and forever.” Nyx whispered, reaching out to cup the back of the other’s neck, pulling him in a for a kiss._

_“It’s about damn time,” Libertus replied between kisses, pulling back to study Nyx’s face, the tears that streaked down his face, the way his cerulean hues were full of fire. “You’re a bloody idiot, you know that?” He asked with a laugh before stealing another kiss, hands drifting farther, farther, before they began to work on the belt of Nyx’s uniform._

_A laugh escaped Nyx as he nodded, his heart feeling light for the first time in months. “Yeah, I am. But you love me.”_

_“I do.”_

“You don’t like her anymore, do you?” Noctis broke the silence as they neared the vault, brows furrowed. Nyx sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the marble floors before up at the daunting doors to the vault.

“The Nox-Fleurets worry me. They aren’t… Normal.” Nyx attempted to explain, shrugging his shoulders as Noctis opened the doors and gestured for him to enter. 

“No, they aren’t. Which is why dad is keeping a closer eye on them than normal. I’ll see you later-… Come back safely, yeah?” Noctis called over his shoulder, giving a wave as he turned the corner. Nyx shook his head and stepped into the royal family’s blood vault, the doors falling shut behind him. The smell of blood began to seep through the room, making his stomach rumble.

“A feast fit for kings.”

* * *

“I know this is the majority of your home,” Drautos began, hands clasped behind his back as he studied the troop gathered before him, “and I know that majority of you have family here. I want you all to keep your face. This isn’t a leisure visit; something is wrong. There will most likely be death, some of your family may be dead. People you love, who you grew up with- they could be dead.” Frowning, he drew in a slow breath. “I know how this can be from personal experience. Glaives, attention!” He drew himself up, shoulders squaring and head raising as King Regis makes his way in.

The Glaive straightened immediately, all signs of emotion wiping clean from their faces as Regis slowly walked before them, raven-headed cane making a sharp tap with each downward hit. “I do not want to send you to see the possible carnage of your families. I do not want you all to suffer through this.” He shook his head, rouge hues sweeping over the faces of his strongest. “I wish you the best. Return to me safely. Know that this- whatever it is that Niflheim has done, it will be repaid tenfold.” Nodding, he began to make his way out, though he paused before Crowe, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. “Be strong for Nyx and Libertus, young Crowe. They will need you,” his voice was gentle, face relaxing into a somber expression as Crowe bit her lip and nodded.

“For Hearth, and Home.” Regis spoke softly, and the Kingsglaive echoed loudly. His chest swelled with pride as he nodded, walking out. Behind him, Drautos dismissed the group. Silently, the Glaive began to pack up, tightening their armor, packing away their weapons and first aid supplies. 

“Nyx, you gonna be okay?” Luche asked, brows furrowing as he slid his daggers into the holsters attached to his hips. Nyx shook his head, keeping his eyes focused on lacing his boots. When Nyx gave no verbal answer, Luche hummed and nodded, reaching over to place a gentle hand between his shoulders. No words were necessary, for everyone felt the same heavy dread settled into the pits of their stomachs. 

No one wanted to walk in and see a massacre. 

Near silently, the Glaive suited up, medics gathering up their packs, frontline defense sharpening their weapons. Drautos stood outside in the cooling air, studying his phone. Ater had called him and left a voicemail- something he would check later in the privacy of his apartment. Though, that wasn’t what had drawn him outside. No, what had drawn him outside was the darkening sky. Large, heavy-bottomed clouds were billowing in; snow looked to be on the horizon. It wasn’t unusual for snow to begin to fall in mid-October, but it still didn’t sit right with him.

This entire plan didn’t sit right with him.

He’d not been told of this attack on Galahd; no one had informed him that his Glaives’ home would be destroyed. Or, possibly destroyed. Hell, he didn’t even know what all had transpired aside from the brief email he’d received from Ater three days prior, saying that Galahd was wiped away and to not be surprised if he was sent there to clean up. Had she been sent there instead of Tenebrae? His thoughts were quickly shoved to the side as the scent of Luche reached him, the smaller alpha approaching cautiously. He always smelled of winter; cold, of pine and spear mint. He would have made a good beta.

“Sir, we’re prepared to leave.” Luche interrupted, blue grey hues studying the alpha curiously. “Is everything alright?” He asked, taking a cautious step forward. The feeling of tension, of anger, he was getting from his captain was nearly smothering, making him want to submit, to roll over and bare his neck for the stronger alpha. Though, just as quickly as the sensation came, it was gone, Drautos turning and walking back towards him. 

“No, nothing’s wrong. Let’s go.” He replied, stuffing his phone into an inner pocket of his uniform coat. Nodding, Luche fell into step behind him, squaring his shoulders. The rest of the Glaive had already climbed into the carrier, settling in as he and Luche made their way in. 

“Prepare yourselves, Glaives.” His voice was gentle, the harsh tone that normally resided there replaced with one of worry. The hatchway closed, sealing off the cold northern wind. The roar of the engines took over all conversations that had been happening, leaving in its place a tense silence. The flight to Galahd would only take little more than an hour; if they had gone by car, it would have taken four to five hours. Possibly more, depending on how much damage was dealt.

The hour passed slowly, each of the members of the Kingsglaive lost in their own minds. Crowe knew how it felt to lose your home- she’d lost her own long before she’d come to Insomnia. Looking to her left, Libertus sat with his head in his hands, subtly shaking. Nyx sat on the other side of him, a protective arm wrapped around his lover, his own fact set in stone. To her right sat Pelna, who looked calm outwardly, though she could feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves. Idly, she reached over, lacing her fingers with his own. Being the only two betas out of the Glaive was tough. Especially when one of the two was just as anxious as the rest of the of them. 

“Approaching Galahd, requesting permission to land.” Clarus Amicitia’s voice cut through, jolting Crowe from her thoughts. Quietly, she pulled away from Pelna and made her way to the front, joining Drautos in watching the approach. What she saw made her stomach drop out from under her, tears filling amber hued eyes. “Repeat, this is Insomnia Theta, requesting permission to land.” He repeated, though his voice had grown strained at the sight before him.

The airport itself was intact, but the city beyond was in ruins. As they circled around, the sound of muffled sobs could be heard from inside the bay. Below lay Galahd- or, what had once been Galahd. Smoke rose from smoldering fires, buildings reduced to rumble. Though, was disturbed the trio the most was the visible trail of blood that seemed to streak through the center of the village, up the main street. As Clarus flew the plane lower, Crowe began to feel physically sick, for in the center of the village stood a mountain of mutilated bodies. The mountain was easily the size of a two-story house, and each body seemed more mutilated than the last.


	6. 5.2: Genocide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Two chapters in one day?  
> I feel like I owed y'all this, since y'all have stuck by this for so long.  
> Finally, we're getting into the plot!  
> Also, leave a comment on what you think will happen!  
> Comments make the world go round, after all.  
> -Mel

_“I see fire, inside the mountain. I see fire, burning the trees. I see fire, hollowing souls.”_  
\- Ed Sheeran, _I See Fire_.

* * *

“You do realize how bad of an idea this is, right?” Gladiolus asked Noctis as the princeling carefully placed the black medical mask over his mouth and nose. “Your dad’s gonna kill me when he finds out about this.”

“He won’t kill you. And I have to see him again. There was just… Something about him.” Noctis replied, fixing the flatbill and sunglasses into place. Looking over his outfit, he nodded to himself. All black everything- he looked like he was just another college student in Insomnia. Shrugging, he turned to look over Gladio, nodding. His guard was dressed down in simple blue jeans and a long sleeved, black v-neck. “Besides, we won’t get noticed! And I even asked Prompto where we should meet him.”

“So you two _have_ been talking? How did you even get his number?” Shaking his head, he grabbed hold of his own sunglasses and made his way out of the prince’s chambers, glad that his father had decided to join the Glaive on their mission outside of the city. 

“Cindy. We’ve been talking for about… Two? Months.” Noctis replied, closing his bedroom door and leading the older of the two towards the garage. “I’m considering inviting him to the gala next weekend.” 

“What,” Gladio began, quickly walking ahead of the other and turning around, walking backwards, “is going on in that underdeveloped mind of yours? You’re thinking of inviting not only a human, but a _common_ human? Your dad won’t go for that, and you know it.” Gladio shot back, frowning. Honestly, Noctis didn’t know how to think things through.

“That’s why I’m not gonna bother asking dad.” Shrugging, Noctis slid his keycard through the security lock and opened the door, making his way to the town car. Only too be blocked by Gladio’s thick arm.

“You wanna go low key? We’re going low key; we’re taking my truck.” It may have pleased Gladio a bit too much by the way Noctis’ expression turned sour at the thought of leaving his luxury car behind for the truck that Gladio took outside of the city to go hunting in. Pouting, the prince made his way over to the truck and climbed in, struggling with the height for a moment.

“You’re impossible.” Noctis muttered, arms crossing over his chest as Gladio climbed in and started the truck up, grinning. His fangs caught the light as he turned to look at Noctis.

“Buckle up, princess.”

* * *

The Glaives stood at the end of the runway, taking in the scene. The smell of burnt flesh mingled with the scent of fresh blood and smoke, and unpleasant smell all around. Nyx had been the first one out, and stood at the front of the group, hands balled into fists as rage poured through his system. Quietly, Drautos began to walk forward, spurring the group into moving. 

“Who the hell could have done this?” Libertus asked softly, shaking his head as Crowe sidled up beside him, her hand entwined with Pelna’s as they looked around. “This is an act of war.”

“This was genocide.” Luche whispered, brows furrowed as he joined the small group. “This was purposeful genocide. Look- they went into each house and dragged them out…” His voice trailed off as Drautos stopped, hand raised in a closed fist.

“Split up, start searching each house. I want you all in groups, take a cluster of houses and then move on. See if there are any survivors at all. If there are, triage them there and send up a red flare or make a call. If you find any evidence of who did this- green flare. Danger is the yellow flare or three short howls. You know the drill. Glaives, disperse.” Titus spoke with a sense of finality, and quickly, the Glaives began making their groups.

Nyx took off in a sprint, Libertus and Crowe following him as fast as they could. While they may have been shifters, it didn’t mean that they could run as fast on two legs as they could on four. Nyx had them beat, turning corners and darting down side roads he’d grown up playing in. The farmer’s market was nothing but ash and spoiled fruit, rotten meat, and crushed beads. Beyond that lay the actual bazaar- something that had been one of the main staples for Galahd’s tourist industry. But all that was there were stalls that had been picked bare, beautiful silks that were torn and muddied. 

And beyond that lay the cluster of houses that had been his and his family’s.

Slowing to a stop, he took a moment to catch his breath. His mother’s garden was trampled, the flowers surrounding it ruined. The walls had deep grooves laid within them from fresh claw marks, fur and hair matted with blood scattered throughout. Behind him, Libertus and Crowe finally caught up, both breathing hard. “Selena! Artemis!” He called out, voice echoing in the silence. When he got no reply, he began to move. “Lib, shift for me. I can’t scent track like you can.” He all but demanded, jaw clenching as he fought back tears. 

Libertus nodded and stepped away from the two of them, tugging his shirt off before slipping out of his pants and underwear, handing the clothes to Crowe so that she could stuff it into her bag. He drew in a slow breath, eyes closing. And then came the pain. The sound of bones cracking, popping came first as Libertus rolled his shoulders, wincing. The pain grew more and more intense as it went on, clawing at his own eyes before those gave way, falling free from their sockets to reveal golden, animalistic eyes in their place. Falling to his knees, he raised both hands up before slamming them onto the ground, the skin tearing in a spiral all the way up his arms, russet fur poking between the rivets. Claws sprung free from his hands, tearing away the skin. He heaved once, twice, before yelling- the sound turning more wolf like by the second. The skin along his back began to stretch before tearing apart, more fur poking through. Head jerking upwards, he opened his mouth, the jaw unhinging as the maw of a wolf began to poke out, human teeth falling to the ground as canines replaced them. And then- the human skin sloughed off, leaving behind a wolf three times the size of a normal sized russet wolf. He shook, blood and gore flying off his fur. As the blood and body parts hit the ground, they began to steam, disappearing shortly after.

“Kingsglaive Rescue, call out!” Crowe hollered after Libertus finished his shift, taking one of the smaller houses to look over. Libertus trotted up behind Nyx, nose to the ground as Nyx made his way into the main house.

The door had been kicked off of it’s hinges, and inside it looked as if an entire army had come in and made themselves at home. “Selena! Mom!” He yelled, voice cracking as he began to rush through the house. Behind him, Libertus whined, looking back towards the center of town. No. No. They weren’t dead. There was no way they could be dead. Selena was an alpha like their dad. Mom was an omega. They were _strong_. They came from the oldest clan here- there’s no way they could be gone.

Blood was splattered along the walls of the kitchen, where a man lay dead, his throat and half of his right shoulder torn away. “Who the hell…?” Nyx muttered, pulling one of his kukris free from its sheath. One foot in front of the other, he began to make his way towards the rear of the house, eyes narrowing. The overwhelming stench of blood seemed to grow stronger and stronger the further he walked into the house, making his eyes water and his stomach growl. The sight that greeted him once he broke into the living room made him freeze before doubling over, dry heaving. 

The entire rear wall seemed to be painted with blood, dripping onto the once clean marble floors. The curtains had been ripped from their homes, gathered upon the floor, the furniture strewn across the room. The pictures that had been so delicately framed shattered and torn. With shaking hands, he reached down and pulled a picture free from the rubble. Selena and his mother, Artemis, smiled up at him; it had been Selena’s fourteenth birthday, a year before Nyx left home. He’d taken the picture that morning, before the festivities had begun. Carefully, he folded the picture in half and slipped it into an inner pocket in his jacket. Standing slowly, he turned to look around the open living area.  
The windows had been shattered, the sliding glass doors off their tracks. “Mom? Selena?” He called out, carefully stepping over the shards of broken glass, out to the back yard. The pool was untouched, unscathed; the mosaic tile still shining beneath the water. Beyond that lay more carnage. He could just hear Crowe’s voice echoing on the wind. Behind him, Libertus trotted up, pushing his nose against the back of his neck. “I know,” Nyx murmured, shaking his head as he looked back towards the center of the town.

“Kingsglaive Rescue! Call Out!” Nyx hollered, joining the chorus of voices that grew louder with each passing minute. Based on the fact that no flares had gone up, nor had any howls…

Galahd was gone.

“C’mon. Let’s… Head back to the center.” Nyx muttered, picking his way across broken glass and concrete. He still held a sliver of hope despite it all, hoping beyond everything that his sister had made it out alive, that his mother had gotten them out in time. It was possible- they’d escaped from natural disasters before, so why couldn’t they have gotten away this time?

Libertus suddenly let out a low growl, hunching low to the ground. The next moment, the sound of a warning howl went up, prompting Libertus to take off in a run, Nyx following behind as best as he could. Normally, Libertus wouldn’t be running so fast- he’d pause and check to make sure that Nyx was keeping up. But this time- this time, he didn’t even look back. He kept pushing himself harder the further away from the town they got. Nyx could glimpse the sight of brown and black fur on either side of him; Luche’s mixture of white and brown straight ahead. And in front of the pack, Drautos’ pitch black fur. 

Whatever it was that they could sense, it was bad. Nyx shook his head, pulling his kukris free and drawing in a breath, seeing if he could smell- or even taste- anything on the air. Nothing but the smell of sea salt and pine, the distant scent of smoke and burnt flesh, the irony tang of blood mingling within it all. What was it that had alerted the pack? Slowing down as the pack all began to fall into formation, he moved to the outside, near Drautos’ left flank. “Clarus, come in. Something’s got the pack worked up, over.” Nyx spoke softly into his com, leaning down as they neared the clearing. Fifty yards beyond the clearing lay Galahd Canyon, and on the other side, the Wilds. 

Nyx almost ran into Drautos with how quickly he halted, muzzle low and snarling, piercing blue hues staring straight ahead. Pulling away, he looked into the clearing and nearly found himself yelling in shock. There stood a creature, it’s fur a deep mahogany, eyes a molten gold. It was no wolf- it didn’t have the right body composition. It was standing on its hind legs, it’s muzzle raised high. It looked more like the drawings of the old shifters, when they were more humanoid than animal, that Noctis had shown him once. But that wasn’t possible- the old shifters had all died out. All that was left was those in Galahd, those who descended from the original shifters. So, what was this creature? Where had it come from? 

When Nyx started to move forward, Drautos’ head swung towards, a low warning growl rumbling out of him, freezing him in place. He knew better than to go against that growl- had been bitten and scratched enough times to recognize the barely-concealed threat. Instead, he crouched low between Drautos and Luche, letting their scents mask his own. They were down wind, so unless the wind suddenly decided to shift direction, they should be safe. Brows furrowing, he pulled his phone out and began taking pictures as best as he could.

And then, the sound of a hovercarrier broke through, the wind from the jets suddenly spraying them all. Then came the spray of bullets, making them all scatter quickly, Nyx darting behind a large oak and hunkering down low, head between his knees as he made himself as small as possible. The others had zigzagged away, shifting back into their human forms in the midst of it all, leaving behind pieces of fur and canine teeth. 

“Clarus, get us out here!” Nyx yelled into the com as the bullets stopped, making him freeze and cautiously peek around the trunk of the tree, only to find…

Nothing.

The creature was gone, as was the hovercarrier. Sliding free from his hiding spot, he jogged out to the center of the clearing, looking up to the sky, searching, To the north, he could just make out the black bulk of the aircraft. Behind him, the sound of grumbled complaints began to fill the air. Sliding his kukris back into place, he felt the familiar bulk of Libertus press up against him from behind, miraculously dressed. “What the hell was that thing” He asked softly, looking up at the sky in the same direction Nyx was focused on.

“I don’t know,” Nyx began, eyes narrowing as he clenched his jaw, “but that was a Niflheim aircraft.”

* * *

[Text from: Choco-butt]: Are you guys here yet? I’ve got us a table in the back! It’s secluded- and this place sells that weird wine that you guys can drink!!!

[Text from: Choco-butt]: You are still coming, right?

[Text from: Choco-butt]: Noct?

Noctis couldn’t help but chuckle at the texts he was receiving from Prompto, shaking his head as he pocketed his phone. Gladio held the door open for him as he ducked inside, sweeping the room before spotting a familiar head of blond hair. Smiling, he made his way through the small restaurant, hearing Gladio stopping to flirt with gods know who. Prompto’s eyes were glued to his phone, teeth digging nervously into his bottom lip as his left leg seemed to have a mind of its own as it jumped.

“That’s a bad habit, you know,” Noctis teased, watching as the human jumped, cornflower blue hues widening in surprise as his cheeks grew red in embarrassment. It made the freckles across his cheeks and nose stand out more; it was cute. “Also, I’m here. Gladio’s back there, flirting with… Someone.”

“Right! Right, hi- hi.” Prompto fumbled with his words, giving a shy smile as Noctis took the seat directly across from him. “I, uh, went ahead and ordered for myself? Since I don’t know what you guys can… Or, well, can’t eat.” He admitted, ducking his head down, causing blond bangs to fall into his face. Noctis couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden bashfulness. 

“You look good, by the way. Red looks good on you.” Noctis commented as he lifted the menu, reading over it curiously. They did have a selection of bloodwines, which was surprising, all things considered. Shifting in his seat, he watched as the waiter neared their table, attention focused on the pad held within their hand. 

“Welcome to Mia’s, what can I… Get…” Her voice trailed off, eyes widening behind her glasses as she looked at just who was sitting at the table. The feeling of sudden bulk behind him made Noctis jump, eyes widening as Gladio suddenly appeared out of thin air.

“Two glasses of your finest bloodwine, and a side of cherries. Please.” He quickly intervened, flashing a charming smile as the waiter quickly nods and backpedals, all but running back into the kitchen. Sighing, the behemoth of a man settled into the spare chair, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. He steadied the blond with a curious stare, golden brown hues intense.

“So, we meet again.” Gladio teased, flashing a fanged smile as he leans forward, looking between the prince and his date. “Don’t mind me, I don’t wanna be here, but I have to.” 

“Right…” Prompto trailed off, wiggling in his seat for a moment before, “So, why’d you invite me here? I mean, I know we’ve been texting and stuff, but…” His voice was trailed off as he looked up from the table to study Noctis. The prince was just as handsome as when they had first met; skin flawless, similar to porcelain, hair effortlessly messy and raven black, eyes that haunting magenta that seemed to have a touch of sapphire around the pupil. Gods be good, Prompto felt unworthy to be in the presence of him. Not to mention, his guard! 

His _behemoth_ of a guard- the dark tattoos poking out from the collar of his shirt, the dark brown hair cut into a faux-hawk, the fact that he was all but pure muscle. It was terrifying and Prompto was starting to realize how much he stuck out. He, with the smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose. He, with his blond hair that was smothered beneath a red beanie. He, who was nothing but a mere plebian and human.

“I want you to be my date for the Winter Solstice Gala.” Noctis said nonchalantly, as if he were merely explaining that the weather was going to turn cold. Prompto slipped up, eyes widening in surprise as the knife he’d been using to spread butter across a roll was jerked back by his own arm, slicing across his palm. 

_One._

“I can’t do that! I’m just a- a nobody! I’m not royal!” Prompto exclaimed, before his eyes fell to his hand.

_Two._

“Wait-shit, my hand…” He grabbed for a napkin to staunch the flow of blood.

_Three._

“Noctis, _NO_!” Gladio roared as Noctis leapt over the table, fangs bared. 

It all happened in the blink of an eye. One moment, Prompto had been turning the prince down, and the next, he was getting pinned to the ground, the table between them in splinters as Noctis had all but destroyed it in his haste to get to Prompto. His teeth had barely scraped the surface, just enough to draw blood from the blond’s neck, just enough for a taste, before he was ripped back and away by Gladio. But the damage had been done; the restaurant was in chaos, and Noctis was fighting with all his strength to get to Prompto.

Prompto, who was on the floor, hands covered in scratches from the glass of the glasses that had been smashed. Prompto, who was staring up at Noctis in a mixture of terror and awe. Prompto, who was suddenly being lifted and carried out in a pair of strong arms. 

Looking up, he was met with a stern looking man- human? Vampire? He couldn’t tell. But it didn’t matter, because the next thing he knew, he was being tossed in the back of one of the royal family’s cars and having the door shut behind him. Only, it wasn’t a car. It was a truck. A big truck that was loud. He could see Gladio carrying Noctis out, the prince huddled close to the guard, being covered by Gladio’s leather jacket. Paparazzi were flocking, cameras flashing, as the King’s personal Guard and police alike surrounded the scene.

“You’ve just gotten yourself tied up in one hell of a mess, kid.” The man spoke softly, glacier hues looking at him through the rearview mirror before focusing on the road as he pulled out, cutting off traffic and receiving blaring horns and shouted insults in response. 

“I’m-pardon?” Prompto asked, looking down at his bloodied hands in confusion. Man, he was tired now.

“I’ve been ordered to take you to the Citadel for treatment, and questioning. I hope Lord Clarus goes easy on you, because-”

“What’s your name?” The blond asked, leaning forward, careful to keep his bleeding hands on his legs and not on the leather of the truck’s interior.

“… Cor Leonis. King Regis’ personal guard. As I was saying, the King’s Interrogation…” The name brought forth memories of gossip he had heard through the years. Cor had been with King Regis for years, and rumors flew of them being intimate with one another. But Cor was a _human_. A human who worked with vampires and shifters alike. His mind began to drift as they drove towards the inner part of the city.

Back to where this wild ride began.

* * *

“And you’re telling me this _now_?” Regis demanded, staring his son down with a scowl. “By the gods, Noctis- have you no _sense_?! Do you even comprehend the amount of trouble you could have gotten us all into if you had actually succeeded in biting the boy? Do you realize the ramifications that would come with that?! Of course not, because all you care about is _YOURSELF_!” Regis roared, causing Noctis to flinch and stare down at the floor. 

Sylva clicked her tongue, but kept quiet otherwise, the Tenebrae coven watching silently. Regis had all but ordered Noctis to be dragged into the throne room, and then began his tirade as soon as the prince had finished explaining what had happened. 

“Honestly, I’m tempted to ban you from the Gala-” 

The sound of voices outside of the room echoed before the doors thundered open, the angered faces of Titus Drautos, Nyx Ulric, and Clarus Amicitia storming in. “Pardon the intrusion, your majesty.” Clarus spoke, though none of them bothered dropping into a bow. Instead, Nyx stepped ahead of them, to the foot of the steps.

“Did you know?” He questioned, voice soft but laced with cold anger. Sylva sat up in her seat, studying the glaive curiously. Beside her, Luna leaned forward, brows furrowing. What on Eos was Nyx doing?

“Did I know what?” Regis countered, jaw clenching as he sat straighter, looking from Nyx to Clarus, before settling on Drautos for a moment. 

“Don’t fuckin’ bullshit me! Did you know that Niflheim was targeting Galahd?” Nyx all but yelled, taking the steps two at a time. “Did you know that Niflheim was going to attack? That they were going to absolutely obliterate everyone there? That they would be committing genocide against the Galahdian people?!” His voice had risen in tone, cold and loud and completely different from how Lunafreya or Noctis had ever seen him be before.

Quite frankly, it terrified Noctis. 

“… I did not know what they were planning. I did know of the attack.” Regis spoke calmly, slowly standing from his throne, only to be slammed back down by the Glaive, whose nails were digging into his shoulders in a most painful way. Crimson hues widened in surprise as he looked up at the seething man, for once fearing for what would happen. Nyx leaned closer, lips curling back into a snarl, sharp incisors coming into view.

“You’re no better than your father, Regis. No better. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re my king, I would have ripped your throat out by now. You _disgust_ me. You let hundreds of people- defenseless people, _my people_ , die. You let my sister be killed in the worst way possible.” Angry tears had welled up, but hadn’t spilled over. Not yet, at least. 

“Nyx, stand down. That’s an _order_.” Drautos growled, grabbing hold of Nyx by the back of his neck and all but tossing him back into Clarus, who caught the angered Glaive. Turning back to Regis, the captain slowly shook his head. “This is how you lose the trust of the people, Sir. Make arrangements for those who have lost families if you don’t want a riot on your hands.”

Clarus released Nyx, who seemed to have finally calmed down. Quietly, he turned his back on the king, not even lifting his head to meet Noctis’ gaze. Instead, he walked from the throne room, Drautos hot on his heels. 

Clicking her tongue, Sylva leaned back in her seat, watching the men go. “Well, that’s surely one large mess you have on your hands, Regis. We’ll leave you be. Lunafreya, come.” With utmost grace, the coven leader stood and made her exit, reaching out to one of the guards standing by. “Fetch me Aurora, I need to speak with her.” 

Regis settled back down, breathing deeply. “War council meeting in thirty minutes. Niflheim has overstepped their boundaries; Insomnia will not tolerate this.” He spoke softly, looking up at Clarus with a frown. “It seems as if we are going to war once more, old friend.”

“Yes,” Clarus agreed, “it seems as if we are.”


	7. VI: Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever have a consistent update schedule? Probably not let's be honest here.  
> But I'm back with a new chapter, and the next one is almost finished, so I should have that one posted within the next few days.  
> The only warnings for this chapter are blood, someone has an anxiety attack, and a small smut scene.  
> Enjoy!

_“God forbid anyone touch his queen.”_

* * *

“Things are moving far faster than we would have ever imagined, it seems.” Sylva began, tracing a finger along the lip of her cup. “Tell me, Aurora, what have your little birds told you?” She questioned, reclining back upon the chaise lounge, bringing her wine glass of bloodwine to her lips.  
“Niflheim has been creating more weapons, biogenetically engineering them to be stronger than the normal, run of the mill shifters. I’m unsure of whether or not they’re simply like the Glaive- all wolves. I wouldn’t doubt it if they’re attempting to recreate what the shifter race once was, but stronger.” Aurora replied, walking slowly around the study. It made her think of home, of the Gloriam estate in Tenebrae; the books that lined the walls, the roaring fireplace on the far wall. The only difference was the color scheme; at home, the walls were ivory and accented with baby blues and lilacs. Here, the study was all dark maroons and mahoganies, accented with harsh onyx and black marble.  
“And of the boy?” The Lady of Tenebrae asked, reaching up to unpin the carefully set braid, letting the waves of silver cascade down around her shoulders with a tired sigh. It was times like these that Aurora could tell just how old the woman was.  
“It’s odd. He’s been here his entire life, and yet there are no records of any Argentums- aside from him. It’s as if he just… Appeared.” The brunette replied, leaning back against the desk, arms crossing over her chest. That wasn’t all- no, that was far from it all. But she would only give what was asked; Sylva hadn’t asked of his past, of the paper trails that lead back to Niflheim, of the mysterious blond boy who seems to linger around the apartment when Prompto was away.  
No, Sylva didn’t need to know about any of that.  
“Curiouser and curiouser… Do keep me updated, darling.” Sylva hummed, shifting her legs, allowing them to hang off the side with a smile. “Now, I believe we have both the Gala and the wedding to talk of, no?”  
“Yes, of course… I was thinking of wearing sapphire for the Gala to honor…”

* * *

“I’m sorry, kid, but we can’t let you out.” Pelna sighed, watching as Prompto’s face crumbled once more. Damn, he felt sorry for the kid- but he had direct orders from Cor. And the Marshal was one person he did _not_ want to argue with. But shit, these rooms were better than an actual jail; the Citadel’s holding cells were equipped with actual full-size beds, ample pillows, books. Everything one could need while waiting. Even the cell itself was elegant; clear, floor to ceiling walls with small holes cut into the glass to allow conversation. They could only be unlocked by a hand scanner, all five fingerprints needed in order to work- and even then, you would need to be in the system to be able to unlock it.  
“That will be enough, Pelna. Thank you.” Came a crisp, cool voice from the door, making both men jump. Pelna’s face paled as he realized who had come in, and with a pitying glance at Prompto, quickly absconded.  
“I apologize for the wait. Cor’s busy, so he sent me in his stead. Ignis Scientia, a pleasure to finally meet the heathen that’s been occupying the Prince’s time.” As he stepped into the light, Prompto felt his heart stutter. By the Gods, were all vampires pretty? His skin was smooth- well, sort of. He could see little scars that decorated the pale skin, but his eyes. Gods be good, his eyes were the clearest jade he’d ever seen. And that accent- was he supposed to be getting flustered? He didn’t think so, but he couldn’t help it.  
Oh, wait. He was supposed to respond, wasn’t he?  
“Prompto Argentum. I-… I’m not a heathen. I’m just a photographer.” He mumbled, bottom lip poking out in a pout. “Besides, Noct was the one who set up the date! It wasn’t _my_ fault.”  
“Oh, I’m quite aware. He explained it all to me. But currently, you’re of more interest. You do realize what we are, correct? What our kind is known to do to humans?” Ignis asked, reaching out to unlock the cell. The scanner whirred, blue artificial light sliding over his palm before turning green.  
A shudder danced through him as he nodded slowly. “I’m aware- the big guy, Gladio? Made it pretty clear…” Pretty clear that he would be a tasty little snack. That he’s a threat to Noctis. That he doesn’t belong with their kind.  
“And yet,” Ignis began, stepping back as the door opened, “you’re sitting in this cell, and there are reporters outside of the Citadel harassing our guards, asking for a quote from Noctis, from you, and from the King. So, tell me…” He stepped in, and if Prompto didn’t know any better, he’d swear that the temperature had dropped ten degrees.  
“Why the hell are you still here?” His voice had dropped, and as he took another stepped forward, Prompto took a step backwards. “Truthfully, Regis would rather have you dead. It would certainly be better for all involved.” Another step forward, another step backwards. Reaching a gloved hand out, he cupped the blond’s chin roughly, jerking his face closer to his own. Up close, Prompto could see the scars clearly. Though, that wasn’t what bothered him most. No, what sent a chill down his spine was the uncaring coldness within his gaze.  
“I-I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I swear…” He winced as metal pressed into his chin, nearly breaking the skin. Oh- oh, by the gods, that was a knife. That was a very big knife that was trailing down his neck. Oh, fuck. “Please, I didn’t mean for all of this to happen!” His voice cracked as he began to panic. But something was different- he wasn’t feeling the normalcold sweat, the dread that would settle low in his belly. No, instead, as if he wasn’t in control of his body, he reached up, grabbing onto Ignis’ wrist.  
And squeezing.  
Squeezing, squeezing- he was angry, pissed. This wasn’t his damn fault! He didn’t mean for this to happen! Vaguely, he could hear Ignis yelling, could register the feeling of liquid spilling between his fingers. If he squeezed any longer, the bones within his wrist would start to break. That wouldn’t be good.  
Suddenly, his mind was clear, and he was dropping Ignis’ wrist.  
His wrist, which was covered in blood.  
“I-I didn’t…” Eyes widening in surprise, he looked down at his own hands. One of which was slick with ruby liquid. He let out an alarmed wheeze as he was shoved back against the cold wall behind him. Painfully reminded that the wall was just as solid as it seemed, his skull slammed back against it. Stars exploded in his vision, blood rushing in his ears. Ouch. An arm pressed against his throat, holding him up off the ground. All his weight was pressing against his throat. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t breathe, _couldn’t breathe._  
“What _are_ you? You don’t smell human, you don’t look Insomnian. What the _fuck_ are you?!” He snarled, leaning in closer. “If anything, you smell like the _mutts_ that the Glaive is made up of.” The sound of boots echoed against the walls. People, there were people! Prompto opened his mouth, letting out a weak croak.  
“Iggy!” Gladio exclaimed as he skidded to a stop, holding onto the wall. Ignis stepped back, letting Prompto fall to the ground in a wheezing heap. “Gods, Iggy- are you okay? What-… Your _hand._ ” Frowning, he stepped over, worry etched across his face. He tugged his own shirt off, wrapping it around the bleeding wrist tightly, yet as gently as he could. Looking up, the guard’s lips curled into a snarl as he stared the blond down.  
“ _You_.” He growled, stepping over. He went to take hold of Prompto’s shirt, only to freeze in his movements. Everyone froze, now that Prompto payed attention.  
“Pelna came to me and informed me that Ignis was down here to interrogate Prompto. Yet, I don’t remember father ordering _anyone_ to come down here and interrogate Prompto.” That voice- Noctis! He struggled into a sitting position, looking between Gladio’s legs as the prince slowly made his way into view. Dressed in all black- a black overcoat, black dress shirt, black pants, even his shoes were solid black, and each step sounded like a gunshot in the silence of the holding cells. “Tell me, Ignis, why are you here?”  
The room was so silent, Prompto swore you could hear a pin drop. Ignis shifted closer to Gladio, the pair’s body language indicating that they were on high alert. “Exactly. There is not a single reason you should be here. Prompto, come here.” Jolting at the sound of his name, he scrambled to his feet, shoving past Gladio to sidle up beside the Prince. He understood now why Ignis and Gladio were so stiff- Noctis looked eerily calm. Face blank, head tilted slightly to the side. Hell, he almost looked _bored_.  
“Thank you, Pelna. If you hadn’t have come and gotten me, I’m certain that Ignis and Gladio would have made a very big mistake, one that would cost them… Quite a lot. Perhaps that hand that’s already been damaged, Ignis?” A shudder danced through Prompto as he watched the vampire pale and take a half step back. “Or maybe your eyes? You need those, being a guard and a mapmaker, don’t you? Can’t very well do either job without those…” Noctis stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the pair. He reached up, gently pulling the glasses away from Ignis’ face- before crushing them in his hand. “And you, Gladio…”  
He turned to face the large guard, who for once looked anything but intimidating. “What if I took your hands? You couldn’t be a King’s Guard with no hands to hold a sword.” Gladio swallowed thickly as Noctis brushed his fingers against his hand, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Let it be known that if anyone harms Prompto again, in any way at all, I will have them brought to me. And I will have their head on a spike on the Citadel gates for all to see what happens when someone goes against me. Do I make myself clear?”  
“Crystal.” Gladio replied in a growl, though he made no move to lash out at Noctis despite his hands clenching and unclenching. Prompto half expected for Gladio to punch Noctis, or to at least yell, but nothing happened.  
The prince turned on his heel and began to leave, making sure to grab hold of Prompto’s hand and tug him along. The blond let out a soft noise of confusion, though he didn’t argue as he was lead up the stairs, out of the holding cells. People cleared the way for Noctis as if he were Ramuh and was parting the Altissian Sea as they made their way to the ground floor of the Citadel, the only floor open to the public.  
The vampire didn’t speak as he tugged him along, to the elevators. Even in the elevator, they didn’t speak; instead, Noctis stared a hole in the doors until they opened. Only then did he relax, dragging a hand over his face before motioning for Prompto to follow after him. “I’m sorry about Ignis. And Gladio. They shouldn’t have…” He trailed off, shaking his head as he led the human past open doors- bedrooms.  
Curiosity got the best of him and he slowed his steps, looking into the rooms. Most were empty, it seemed. That is, until the sound of a piano made him freeze in his steps. Noctis stopped as well, watching as the other crept into the bedroom that Ravus and Aurora were sharing. A smile curled his lips as he shook his head; human curiosity was cute.  
Prompto stilled, watching as the Lord of Tenebrae leaned into the music, each note more thunderous than the last. His fingers flew across the keys, producing wonderful music. The way that Ravus seemed to become one with the music… Prompto’s fingers itched for his camera, to capture this beautiful moment. Though, instead, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand placed itself on his shoulder.  
“He truly is a master at piano, isn’t he?” Aurora whispered, a smile curling at the corners of her lips as she glanced up at the blond. Prompto nodded in agreement, smiling nervously. Where had Noctis gone? Glancing over his shoulder, he confirmed that Noctis was still there- just lingering in the doorway. The feeling of Aurora’s hand drifting down, down, trailing along his spine made goosebumps break out across his arms. That felt… Really good.  
“You can stop gawking now,” came an annoyed order as Ravus turned on the piano bench, studying the trio curiously. “You’re becoming quite the familiar face, aren’t you?” He mused, rising to walk over to the human, reaching a hand out to tilt his chin upwards. Gods be good, Prompto thought he was going to pass out any moment now. “I can see why the prince is so taken with you; such a _lovely_ little thing you are…” He murmured, receiving a giggle of approval from Aurora. A pleasant shudder danced down Prompto’s spine as his eyes closed, leaning into the touch.  
Until a clearing throat made him jolt back to reality. Oh, right. Noctis. “I’m showing Prompto to his room. He’ll be staying in the Citadel for the time being.” Oh, shit. Cornflower blue hues widening, he turned around to face the prince, breaking contact with the couple that had, somehow, managed to put him almost under a spell. A trance…  
“But what about my dog?” Prompto asked, brows furrowing. “And my job? And my plants…” He trailed off, shaking his head.  
“We’ll have your dog brought here. Your boss will be notified. As for your plants…” Noctis shrugged, a brow raising. “Do you really care that much for them?”  
“Well, no-”  
“Good. Now, let’s _go_.” Noctis reached out, taking hold of his hand once more and tugging him out of the bedroom without telling Ravus or Aurora goodbye.  
“We will see you later tonight, Prompto.” Aurora called, poking her head out of the door with a wide smile, sharp incisors in plain sight, reminding him of exactly who they were… What they were.  
Dangerous. Don’t go near them. Stay away from them.  
‘Sorry, Loqi.’ He thought to himself with a silent sigh.

* * *

“And this is your bedroom…” Noctis trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. “I know it isn’t much, but-”  
“ _Isn’t muchM/em >?!” Prompto cut him off, spinning around to face the royal. “This room is as big as my entire _apartment__! This is amazing!” And it was true; the room held a large vanity, a king-sized canopy bed in the center against the back wall, its own en suite, a closet that was as big as his bedroom back home. “I could get used to this.” He joked, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.  
“You… You’re okay, right? Ignis didn’t hurt you too much… Right?” Noctis asked, kneeling down before the blond, placing a gentle hand on his knee. “They stepped out of line… I should have been there, should have stopped it sooner…”  
Prompto frowned, reaching out to, at first, touch the silky midnight locks before quickly diverting his hand to his shoulder. “It’s fine, Noct. I’m okay- he just… He’s a lot stronger than he looks, isn’t he?” He let out a nervous laugh, cheeks coloring from embarrassment. Noctis simply shook his head, a fond smile curling his lips.  
“Well, I’m glad you’re… Okay.” Quickly rising, he brushed off the front of his trousers before straightening his jacket. “I’ll come get you once dinner is ready- you… Like steak, right?” He asked nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “The humans on the staff- they’re excited that there’s a new human in here. So- we’re… All having dinner together for once. Dad wanted to get to know you better, and Lady Sylva wants to get a better… Look at you, I think.” The prince finished with a shrug.  
“I mean, the only time I’ve had steak is when I tried cooking it myself and I burnt it so…” Prompto trailed off with a laugh, grinning up at the prince. “I’ll be here, waiting, all by my lonesome in this ginormous room…” He sighed wistfully before snorting and falling back on the bed, plush sating comforter enveloping him. “Soft beds.” He murmured, eyes closing.  
“Right- I’ll come get you later. There are clothes in the closet if you wanna change. Just-… Don’t wander. Stay in here. If you have to leave, call for a maid or something, or me- or Ravus or Nyx. Our numbers are by the phone.” Prompto’s head snapped over to see that yes, a phone was set up on the nightstand like a hotel would have.  
“… Right. I’ll see you tonight, Noct!” Prompto grinned, watching as the royal quickly escaped, the door shutting soundly behind him. He turned in a circle slowly, taking in the sight of the room; the walls were a soft ivory, contrasting nicely with the grey and black bedspread. Sighing, he went to run his hands through his hair before pausing, eyes catching the sight of red staining his palms.  
Oh. Right.  
Swallowing thickly, he made his way to the bathroom on numb legs, heart beat sounding like timpani drums in his ears as it kicked up. He all but stumbled to the sink, gripping the edge so hard his knuckles turned white before he jerked the water on. He quickly got to work, scrubbing his hands clean, the water hot enough to steam but he didn’t notice- he couldn’t feel it. All he wanted was to get the blood off, get the blood off, _get the blood off_. It wasn’t his blood.  
Not his blood.  
Not his blood.  
_Not his blood not his blood not his blood_.  
Tears streaked down his cheeks as he pulled his hands from the water- hands that were a bright red from the mixture of nails scratching, scrubbing at the skin and the water that was far too hot for normal skin to handle. Looking up at his reflection, he froze, eyes wide, breath coming out in short, sharp pants. His irises were violet, not the blue they normally were. Surely that was a trick of the light, right? Leaning forward, he reached up and pulled his lower lid down before wincing- ow, hello nail. Blinking a few times, he looked back at his reflection and frowned.  
Blue once more. Jaw clenching, he shook his head and turned towards the shower. A shower definitely wouldn’t hurt, and Noct said that there were already clothes in the closet for him… “How’d they get my size?” He wondered aloud as he reached in, turning on the shower and immediately getting splashed with water. Jerking back, he looked up- and an excited laugh bubbled out of him. A rain shower! They had a rain shower head installed! Skin crawling, he quickly stripped down and stepped under the spray.  
His hands still stung, his limbs jittery with the remnants of the anxiety attack that had rushed through him. He still had no idea what had come through him earlier- he’d never done anything like that before.  
At least, not that he could remember.

* * *

“He’s cute.” Aurora murmured as she reclined back against Ravus’ chest, fingertips drifting across the top of the water, causing rose petals to drift away.  
“Prompto, I’m assuming? Unless there’s some other man you speak of.” Ravus replied softly, reaching up to tilt her head back, stealing a gentle kiss from her lips. A snicker escaped her as she pulled away, turning around in the large bath tub before climbing atop her fiancé’s lap.  
Placing her hands on his chest, she leaned forward, bumping her nose against his. “No, I mean the king. Yes, Prompto. He’s just so… Innocent. And delicate. His eyes are pretty, and he has freckles like you and Luna, but his are more pronounced. And his smell is absolutely _delightful_.” She purred, slipping forward, forward, until there was no space left between them. A small moan left her lips, her head tilting back.  
“He is, isn’t he? And Noctis is absolutely smitten with him…” Ravus replied, leaning forward to trail kisses down the column of her neck, pausing at her collar bones, only to receive a tug on his hair. “… Mother is planning something.” He murmured, kissing along her collar bones before trailing further, stopping in the valley of her breasts.  
“She is. I’m unsure of what, however. She wants me to- _oh, Ravus_ \- to keep an eye on him, for my birds to keep looking into him… But there’s nothing left to look for.” She gasped softly as his hands gripped her hips, lifting her slightly. A soft groan mingled with her own moan as he settled her back down, slowly entering her before bottoming out.  
“He’s no Lucian.” Ravus spoke against her neck as she began to grind her hips against his slowly, causing waves to begin forming in the tub. Rose petals stuck to their skin in odd places. “His features are more akin to that of Altissia… Or even Niflheim.” He added before breaking off into a groan as Aurora tugged on his hair, pulling his head back.  
“Let’s not speak of politics while fucking, lover.” She murmured, lifting her hips before seating herself once more, grinding down against him. Ravus grinned, a hand slipping forward, coming to rest between her legs, thumb pressing down soundly in order to earn a loud moan from her.  
Only for the bathroom door to be opened.  
“Lunafreya!” Aurora exclaimed, stilling in her movements. She cringed inwardly, feeling Ravus almost immediately grow soft within her. Well, there goes _that_ orgasm.  
“Oh, don’t mind me. Keep fucking.” Lunafreya said, closing the door behind her. “I’m just here to remind you two that we’re having dinner tonight with the King and his human…Staff.” She explained, settling down in a chair, one leg crossing over the other. She watched in amusement as Aurora climbed off of Ravus and reached for her towel, quickly covering herself as she stepped out. “Aurora, I didn’t know you had a tattoo of a bird on hip.”  
“I got it a few years ago, my Lady.” Aurora replied before slipping out of the bathroom, firmly shutting the door behind her.  
Sighing, Ravus sunk further down into the water, running a hand over his face. He’d never gone softer so quickly in his life. “You’ve impeccable timing, sister.” He grumbled, picking up a wet rose petal and flinging it at the other. “What is it?”  
“Mother’s got an interest in Prompto. It’s worrying.” She admitted, walls collapsing around her brother. She looked away, studying the wall as he climbed out, tying a towel around his waist. “I don’t know what it is she has planned, but I fear… That it will not end well for the Lucis Caelum line.”  
“I’m aware.” Ravus replied with a shake of his head. “She knew of the attack on Galahd, but said nothing. She also knew of Niflheim’s silence, but didn’t tell Regis until recently. Something here isn’t adding up.”  
“It doesn’t help that the Gala is falling on the day after Stella was lost.”  
“Say it right or don’t speak of her, Lunafreya. Stella committed suicide. She chose to damn herself.” Ravus spat, lip curling in disgust and anger as he walked to the sinks, holding onto the counter edge. “She knew bloody well what would happen if she drank from a corpse. And she did it anyways.”  
“… Of course.” Luna whispered, looking down at her lap with a deep frown. “She was supposed to be here for this- for us. To help us…” Trailing off, she smoothed her hands over the front of the ivory evening gown she wore.  
“Luna…” Ravus sighed, walking over to pull his sister into a gentle embrace, chin resting atop her head as he sighed. Her arms wound around him, holding onto him as if he were her last hope. “Be strong. I’ll see you at dinner.” He whispered before releasing her, smiling gently down at her.  
“Right- I’ll make sure to knock next time.” She teased before squaring her shoulders, throwing open the bathroom door and marching out of the bedroom, leaving the couple alone. Aurora had nearly managed to get dressed; all that was left was to zip up the back of her sapphire evening gown.  
Ravus chuckled, stepping over to the brunette. “You’re wearing your hair up for once… I like it.” He murmured as he leaned down, pressing lingering kisses along the back of her neck. “It makes having to dress and go down for dinner that much more difficult.” His hands slipped down her sides, gripping her hips, drawing her backwards.  
“Don’t ruin the dress, love. Silk is finicky as is.” Aurora warned, reaching down to lightly pap his hand. “Zip me up, please?” Her voice was soft, distant. Glancing into the mirror, he noticed how her gaze seemed distant. Brows furrowing, he carefully zipped up the back of her dress, taking note of the black lace that lie beneath. He knew that face, knew that look in her eyes.  
“What is it? What’s troubling you?” He questioned, turning her around in his arms. She sighed, pressing her hands to his bare chest, biting down on her bottom lip.  
“Pardon me if I’m stepping out of line- but… You and Lunafreya- she seems not to mind… Seeing you…” She trailed off, studying Ravus’ face. “You’ve…?”  
Ah. Letting out a long sigh, he released Aurora and stepped back, moving towards the closet. “… Ten years ago, Noctis officially breached maturity. He held a party which we were invited to. Drinks were plentiful…” He paused, pulling out two different suit jackets- one grey, the other white. Aurora pointed towards the grey with a pleased nod. “Right, drinks were plentiful, and one thing led to another… One thing you need to know of Noctis is that he will get what he wants, no matter the cost. He’s young, and foolhardy. And Lunafreya hadn’t begun her training with mother yet… Times were different for us.” Towel dropping to the floor, he took hold of a pair of black boxer briefs and began dressing.  
“I wish I could say it happened just once, but it didn’t. It happened again, and again- until mother and Regis found out. Mother made sure that Luna was… Punished.” He faltered with his words, glancing over at Aurora. “It stopped. At least, on my part.”  
“Did you ever feel an attraction to her?” Aurora mused, replacing the ivory rose earrings with dangling gold and sapphire.  
“No, I didn’t. Noctis, I did. But for my sister? No. We made sure that we never…” He shook his head, buttoning up his suit jacket with a scowl. “It was a mistake that I regret with all of my being. It should have been stopped sooner. Mother- she’s the one who placed Lunafreya into the marriage with Noctis. It was a bad move on both her part and Regis- Lunafreya had already begun to build up her walls and didn’t know how to let them back down, which caused a strain on Noctis. Eventually, it all exploded, and the engagement ended in flames, per say.”  
“… I’m aware that… In the old days, your families would intermarry- to keep the bloodline pure.” She fidgeted with her ring, before looking up at her betrothed. “I won’t judge you for it. In our society, it’s still considered normal. My family simply didn’t ever bother- we held no crown, our estate is nothing grand. We’re known for our wines- but that’s all. So, we abandoned the old customs over a hundred years ago. There was no reason for it.”  
“This would be the first marriage outside of the family- you and I.” Ravus suddenly realized, crossing over to the petite brunette, sweeping her up into his arms and spinning. A peel of laughter escaped her as he set her back onto the ground, the pair grinning at one another. “A marriage for the ages, they’ll call it! We’ll usher in the new age!” He exclaimed before stealing a kiss from her.  
“We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now!” Aurora rushed out, grinning as she pulled away from him. She glided over to the vanity, checking her appearance. The gown was beautiful, a gift from Regis when she had arrived. Had she not already planned on a dress for the gala, this would have been the one she wore. Off the shoulder, fitted, silk smoother than water- it was absolutely stunning, a vivid sapphire that complimented her hair nicely.  
“I’m aware of this,” Ravus began, only to be interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. Brows rising, he crossed over to the door, opening it only to find a flustered maid in a curtsey. “Are we late already?”  
“No! No, sir- but the young guest requested your aid…” She explained, cheeks a bright shade of red. Behind him, Aurora peeked out, lips parting in an ‘o’.  
“Of course. His room is at the end of the hall, correct?” He asked, receiving a nod. Dismissing the maid, he glanced down at his lover in amusement. “It seems the human requires assistance. Shall we?”  
“But of course!”


	8. VII: Dressing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto panics and needs help from two friendly and pretty vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot minute hasn't it? As in, five months worth of a hot minute. I'm really sorry- but you know how it gets. Life happens, and I actually fell into a new (old) fandom- Dragon Age. I'll be posting a few drabbles and fics that I've written for that fandom on here, as well.   
> But I'm finally back to working on BVQBV! Pardon the wait, and thank you for sticking with me!

“I’m sorry, I just- I don’t normally dress up and I didn’t know who else to call-” Prompto blabbed, standing in the middle of the bedroom in a pair of black trousers. “I just- I don’t know what I’m doing.” He whined, hands coming up to cover his face. Aurora tutted, walking over and taking his hands in her own, pulling them away from his face to reveal wide blue eyes and rosy cheeks.  
“Calm down! Ravus will help you. Darling, find him a shirt.” Aurora spoke calmly, keeping hold of Prompto’s hands as Ravus walked past towards the closet. “Now, your skin tone… Perhaps something lighter? Unless there’s a deep red- red would look marvelous on him. Oh! There- that dark grey button down- no, no, the one beside that one, with the- yes!” She grinned, incisors in full view, reminding Prompto that she wasn’t just an upper-class woman- that she could kill him if she wanted.  
“Yes, that grey will go perfectly with those wonderful blue eyes and that blond hair of yours.” Nodding, she took a step back so that Ravus could take her place, holding the silken shirt up to Prompto’s torso. “Perfect!” She clapped her hands together in glee. Prompto reached up, taking the shirt from Ravus’ hands- brushing against surprisingly warm skin. Huh- he’d always thought that vampires would be freezing. Pulling the shirt on, he managed to button it quickly, leaving the top few unbuttoned.   
“No, no.” Ravus tutted, reaching up to button the shirt all the way to the top. “You’re eating dinner with royalty, you cannot look casual.” He reprimanded gently before pushing Prompto’s head up gently with a finger under his chin. “Be careful not to cut yourself at dinner, elbows off the table- and sit across from Noctis, not beside him. That seat is reserved for Ignis Scientia. I do hope you know the difference between your silver ware…” He trailed off as he reached up, brushing blond bangs aside. “… Your hair needs taming. Aurora?”  
“Already ready. Sit, sit! We’ve got to get you all nice and pretty!” She all but squealed, pushing down on Prompto’s shoulders, urging him to sit on the edge of the bed. Prompto almost stumbled, sitting down hard on the edge of the bed, looking up at the woman with wide eyes. “Your eyes are the prettiest I’ve ever seen! They’re almost purple with how blue they are!” She exclaimed, cupping his chin to hold him in place. “Now, to fix that hair of yours… Have you ever tried spiking it?”  
“Spiking…?” Prompto asked, eyes widening. “No, I haven’t. Do you think it’ll look okay?” He asked, brows furrowing as he tried to look past the woman to see his reflection. She moved quickly, blocking his path.   
“Then we’re doing it!” She decided with a triumphant grin. Ravus hummed from his spot against the wall, watching as his betrothed began to work. Her fingers were nimble in Prompto’s hair, brushing out the thick blond locks. She worked the comb through, carefully beginning to section out the strands into chunks. One hand reached out, dipping into the pomade she’d found. Carefully, she spread it through, sculpting the strands to swoop upwards rather than stand straight upwards. The lower layers were combed down, falling along the side of his face rather than across his forehead.   
The entire process took little more than ten minutes, given how often Aurora had to style her own hair. “Tada!” She exclaimed, moving aside so that Prompto could see his reflection. Eyes widening in surprise, he reached up to touch the spikes, expecting them to be hard as a rock but finding them to be surprisingly soft. “The pomade I used is meant to simply hold, not to stick or anything like that.”  
“I like it,” Prompto replied softly, eyes wide in surprise. “I like it a lot!” He grinned, turning his attention back to the brunette. “Thank you so much. I’m… I’m sorry for asking the maid to get you two-” he was promptly hushed by the look Aurora sent him. His cheeks flushed as he quickly looked down, worrying his bottom lip.   
“I’m glad you called upon us,” Aurora replied as she stood, brushing off the dark silk. “I so rarely get the pleasure of doing someone else’s hair! Ravus likes to keep his hair like it is…” She pouted, arms crossing over her chest. Behind him, he could hear Ravus let out an amused snort as he moved forward.   
Quietly, he reached around Prompto, draping a deep sapphire tie around his neck. “This matches Noctis’ eyes and goes well with the suit. It’ll bring out the blue in your eyes, as well.” He murmured, coming around to the front before kneeling before the human.   
“It’s really pretty…” Prompto spoke softly, eyes glued to the silk fabric before looking up at Ravus’ face. This close, he could see the beauty marks that speckled his face, as well as the freckles that were almost hidden due to the pale parlor of his skin. His eyes were beautiful- lilac, deeper at the edges of the iris, lighter near the center. His lips were soft-looking, and his hair was brushed back, bangs pushed away from his face. Beautiful, Prompto decided.  
“There.” Ravus nodded, slowly rising. The tie had been tied and adjusted perfectly. Aurora clasped her hands together, pressing them against her chest.  
“Now, dinner?” She asked, grinning, incisors peeking through once more. Prompto swallowed harshly before nodding and standing on shaky legs. He was about to, quite literally, dine with vampires. All of them were vampires. The knowledge hadn’t really settled in until that moment, but now… Ravus placed a hand in the small of his back, gently urging him forward. Eyes wide, he left the bedroom, Aurora closing the door behind them. “Oh, it’s been so long since we’ve had a human guest! This is exciting!” She cooed, looping her arm through Prompto’s. He was stuck.  
They had him stuck. He had nowhere to run even if he wanted to.


	9. Dinner for...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner time ft. awkwardness and then some dancing and spice. I'm bad at summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I'm back. I almost have the next chapter done. Things are getting more dramatic. Okay bye time to disappear for another two months lol

Chapter VIII: Dinner for…  
 _This was a good dinner enough, to be sure, but it was not a dinner to ask a man to._

* * *

The walk down to the formal dining hall was full of chatter from Aurora, talking about herself, Ravus, the family, how Insomnia differs from Tenebrae. She asked about his family (he’d become an expert at lying about his family by the age of fifteen), if he had any pets (she was excited to learn about his corgi), if he had any hobbies or talents. It had helped to relax him, truly- as did the warm hand upon the small of his back. Finally, he worked up the courage to ask the question that had been eating at him.

“Why aren’t you like, freezing to the touch?” He asked, brows furrowing as he looked over to his right, where Ravus walked. “Like, I thought all vampires were supposed to the cold- like a dead body?” His cheeks flushed a dark red as a snort of amusement escaped Ravus.

“While we are, technically, dead- we are not fully dead. Our body still holds blood within it. There’s a long-winded explanation I could give and the full science behind it, why we’re able to breed, why we still require blood- but that would take longer than we currently have.” Ravus explained, before removing his hand and stepping forward. Prompto startled, eyes wide as he realized that the mahogany doors they were at lead to the formal dining hall. Oh. 

_Oh._

“You’ll be _fine_ , Prompto. Remember, elbows off the table, back straight, and wait until everyone is served before eating. Sit across from Noctis, not beside. Rise when Regis and Sylva arrive, and do not sit until they have.” Aurora whispered to him, her lips almost brushing against his ear. He nodded, eyes wide, blood rushing in his ears. He felt Aurora squeeze his shoulders before the doors were opened, revealing the massive formal dining room. 

On the wall to the far left, a large fireplace in the shape of a lion’s maw sat, a fire crackling softly within it. A few small chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling- which was so high that he could barely see the top, he noted. The chandeliers hung low enough to cast decent lighting, but not low enough to touch. At least, not without standing on the table. Or a chair. Or the shoulders of a very tall man. They were small- at least, smaller than the one that hung over the long oak table. Each one was made of glass, a perfect, smaller replica of the large one hanging low- low enough to touch. To the far right lay a set of double doors- no doubt, leading to the kitchen. He could smell food cooking- his stomach rumbled, but he found himself wondering just what was being cooked behind those doors. The floor was a deep, rich mahogany that shined, freshly polished, as if shoes had never before touched its surface. The walls were a deep maroon, golden trim work acting as an accent. 

The table itself was a piece of artwork, the color such a rich, deep brown, it was nearly black. There were places set up- one at each end, and then five chairs on either side of the table. As they approached, he took note of who was there already. A man, one of the ones he’d seen with the king, and Lady Lunafreya. Aurora took him by the arm and lead him to his place, across from where he assumed Noctis would be sitting. She took her seat beside him, placing herself between him and Ravus. Lunafreya sat beside the large seat at the end, no doubt where the Lady Sylva would sit. 

His stomach was filled with butterflies holding razor blades.

“Calm down,” Aurora murmured, reaching beneath the table to give his hand a quick squeeze. “It’ll all be fine. Just breathe.” 

Breathe, right. He could do that. Breathe in, and then out. Maybe. Watch him be the first human without asthma to completely fail at breathing like a normal person would. 

“So, you are the troublemaker?” The soft voice held a thicker accent than Ravus’ own but made Prompto nearly leap out of his seat. Cornflower blue hues widened as he turned, meeting the lavender gaze of Lunafreya. Her eyes held more of a red hue than Ravus’ did. “We’ve not formally met yet. I’m Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, second in line to the throne of Tenebrae, and the next Priestess.” She introduced, flashing a smile that bordered on threatening.

“Right- I’m, ah. Prompto Argentum, your highness.” He greeted, giving her a nervous grin in response. Luna hummed, sharpened nails painted a delicate ivory tapping upon the table top. 

“You’re… Different.” She began, leaning forward. “The way you smell is-”

“There they are!” Aurora quickly interjected, rising from her seat as Noctis made his way in with Ignis and Gladiolus training behind. Noctis looked… Amazing. The suit he wore was simple- black and dark grey pinstripe, a black button-down shirt beneath, with a tie of the richest navy. His hair had been tamed somewhat, less of the bedhead mess it’d been earlier. Ignis wore a suit of maroon, which was surprisingly flattering; it made the green of his eyes stand out behind the black, thin rimmed glasses. Behind them trailed the big guy- Gladio? He wore a deep grey suit with a tie that matched Ignis’ suit- and, now that Prompto looked closer, he realized that Ignis wore a bowtie the same color of Gladio’s suit. 

“Glad to see you survived.” Gladio teased as he rounded the table, taking the seat beside Prompto. Ignis sat across from Gladio, and Noctis took the seat directly across from Prompto. “No hard feelings from earlier, yeah?” He asked, thick arm draping over the back of his chair.

“I do hope you’ll forgive my earlier actions,” Ignis spoke softly as he settled into his chair, head tilting to the side. “I’m afraid I acted purely on instincts.” 

“Yeah, no, it’s fine!” Prompto quickly replied, voice pitched higher than what he’d intended to sound. Cheeks flushing, he looked away, focusing instead upon the table. A silence fell over the table, the only sound that of the cooks working, fixing their food. Glancing up, he caught Noctis staring at him, causing the prince to startle and sit up straighter. Cute, he thought to himself, a smile curling the edges of his lips upwards.

Ravus cleared his throat, drawing attention towards the silverette. “So, Noctis,” he began leaning forward with a mischievous glint to his lavender eyes. “I’m curious- did you purposefully dress up tonight for our _esteemed_ guest?” He teased, drawing forth a laugh from around the table, Gladio’s being the loudest. Prompto watched in awe as Noctis’ cheeks darkened in hue. 

“I dressed up because I wanted to.” The prince defended himself with a pout, slumping back in his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Liar, you spent over an hour trying to figure out what tie color would be best.” Gladio replied with a smirk, mirroring Ravus as he leaned forward, though his smirk seemed far harsher compared to Ravus’. Noctis slumped further down, lip jutting out in a pout. 

“Well,” Aurora interjected, coming to Noctis’ defense. “I think that the prince looks rather handsome tonight! It certainly is a pleasant change.” Prompto couldn’t help but smile and nod in agreement, watching as Noctis’ eyes widened, his confidence returning as he straightened up slightly. “Though, I’d love to fix your hair-”

“Get up.” Lunafreya interrupted. Her voice was soft, her words barely heard and yet seeming to boom through the room simultaneously. Quickly, they all rose to their feet, the sound of chairs scraping along a marble floor echoing out, creating a harsh chorus. A moment passed before the door opened, revealing the men that had been with Regis that first night. He couldn’t recall their names… Though the woman that walked alongside Regis was what made Prompto freeze.

Lady Sylva Nox Fleuret, Queen Regent of Tenebrae. She stood tall and proud, her shoulders squared, chin raised. Her dress was a fitted evening gown of white, flowing down to the floor. She looked ethereal, her skin almost seeming to glow in the golden light of the formal dining room. She wore no crown, instead letting her hair flow long and free down past her shoulders, stick straight and pale blonde. Her lips were tinted a curious color, not quite red but not quite purple, somewhere in the middle, and her eyes were ringed with black kohl. She commanded the room in a way that Prompto had never witnessed. As for the men she walked with…

King Regis stood tall and proud despite the prominent limp. Before Prompto had been born, there had been a great battle, one that Regis was injured in, causing his leg to be injured grievously. Rumor has it, that he’s lucky he was able to keep it. Yet despite that, he was still handsome, a charming smile upon his lips, his facial hair trimmed to perfection, wine red hues glinting with humor. He wore a suit of onyx, the button down beneath the jacket solid black, accompanied by a solid, wine red tie. A metal brace encircled his left knee, and a menacing cane was clutched in his right hand. 

The men behind him were in suits, as well; the one with the dark brown hair and intense blue eyes wore a suit of navy and black, with a sky black tie. He was lean, slight, but he had a subtle strength to his movements. His companion wore a suit of ash grey that did absolutely nothing to hide the muscles that lurked beneath. Now that Prompto looked closer, he noted that the larger of the two held quite the resemblance to Gladio; perhaps he was his father? That would make sense…

Regis walked completely around the table, pulling out Lady Sylva’s chair before pushing it in for her, before going to his own chair. All together, they took their seats. A silence crept across the room, and Prompto felt the sudden urge to start fidgeting, his left leg tensing beneath the table. 

“Shall we begin?” Regis asked, a smile curling his lips. As if on cue, the doors to the kitchen opened, and food began to pour out, carried upon silver trays. The servants- or would it be wait staff? Prompto wasn’t sure- moved with startling ease despite the heavy trays they carried. “I do hope you enjoy pasta, Prompto.” Regis spoke up, causing Prompto to startle. “Linguine Carbonara is the only thing we could all agree on.” He joked, causing a soft round of laughter to fill the room. 

“It’s my favorite.” Prompto managed to get out, offering a nervous, small smile. Beside him, Aurora reached over, patting him on the hand twice before reaching out, taking hold of her freshly filled wine glass. At first, he thought it was simply red wine. However, upon closer inspection, he realized it was far too thick to be considered a wine, and his stomach churned at that realization. Blood. They were drinking blood. Though, the man in the navy suit who came in with Regis had his glass filled with actual wine; red, Prompto noted. So… Was he human?

“So, Prompto,” the smooth, silken voice of Lady Sylva had his head turning, meeting the deep red violet gaze of the vampire. “Noctis mentioned that you’re a photographer. How long have you been interested in it?” A normal topic. Prompto released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Since I was a kid. My mom bought me my first camera when I was eight- it was one of those simple little digital cameras.” He replied with a flush, flashing a bright smile. “And from then on, I fell in love with it. I… At my apartment, I have a small collection of antique cameras, actually.”

“Antique cameras?” Ravus asked, a brow raising in curiosity. “How many do you have?”

“The last time I checked, it was around six or seven. They can get pretty expensive, so I don’t get to get every single one I see.” 

“Do they still work?” Came Lunafreya’s voice as she leaned forward, resting her chin upon her hand. 

“Some do- some of them are missing parts, one of them’s missing it’s lens, and you just… You can’t, y’know, find the lens for it anywhere anymore. They don’t make them anymore.” Prompto explained, only to pause as his plate was set before him. The pasta looked perfect- picture perfect. And the salad that came with it looked almost fake with how green the lettuce was, how perfect the parmesan shavings were. 

“You work for the _Insomnia Times_ , correct?” Regis asked, voice soft, velveteen. Prompto managed a nod, watching as the king cut into- something. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the meat was made of. “Do you like it there?”

“Yeah- yes, it’s nice. I have a good position; I work as a field photographer, so I’ll go out and get pictures of accidents or events.”

“So, you’re like a glorified paparazzi?” Gladio asked, amusement evident in his tone. It made Prompto pause, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

“I wouldn’t-”

“I think that’s an amazing job.” Noctis spoke up, gaze trained not on Prompto, but on Gladio. “Someone needs to be out there, documenting what’s happening. Otherwise, history wouldn’t be recorded.” An uneasy silence settled across the table as Noctis and Gladio had a silent battle with their eyes, daring the other to speak up. 

“Well,” the man with the shaved head spoke up, clearing his throat. “As lovely as this all is, we should eat before our food goes cold.”

“Yes, we should!” Aurora agreed, perking up. 

Regis took hold of his wine glass and raised it up, causing those at the table to mimic him. “A toast- to our new friend, to new routes opening, and to the history that is about to be made.” Quietly, the members of the dinner agreed before beginning to dig into their food. 

The pasta was heavenly. The sauce was perfect. Prompto found himself eating slower than he normally would because he wished to savor the food. That, and to distract himself from the fact that on either side of him sat a vampire, who was eating- what he desperately hoped- was a slab of extremely rare cooked meat. Cornflower blue hues glanced from his own plate to across the table, catching Noctis staring at him. A smile curled his lips as he watched Noctis panic, magenta hues widening as his cheeks colored. A soft snort escaped Prompto, prompting Aurora to look up and watch the scene unfold. 

“So, Noctis,” she spoke up, causing the prince to send her a desperate look that Prompto read as “please don’t do this”. The woman had no sympathy. “How long do you plan on housing Prompto here?” She asked, causing all eyes to suddenly be glued on the pair of boys. Noctis shifted in his seat, frowning.

“As long as he wishes to stay.” He answered with a shrug, directing his gaze back towards Prompto. 

“And you, Prompto? How long do you wish to stay?” Aurora asked, head tilting to the side to study him. Swallowing the pasta that remained in his mouth, he thought over the question. 

“Well… I mean, I wouldn’t mind staying for a few days? But I have a job, and my dog, and my plants…” He trailed off, shrugging. “So, a few days, maybe four? At most.” He decided with a nod. Though, he noticed the way Noctis’ shoulders seemed to sag at his answer. Brow raising, he opened his mouth to ask, only to be interrupted by Ravus.

“You’ll be attending the Solstice Ball, I assume?” 

“Solstice Ball?” Prompto echoed, eyes widening in surprise. “I… Hadn’t planned on it? It’s invitation only, and I’m just a- a commoner-”

“Nonsense!” Ravus shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back, before staring Noctis down. “Noctis will invite you. Won’t you?”

“Of course.” Noctis replied with a scowl, before wiping the expression from his face. “Only if you want to attend, though.”

“I… It’d be an honor!” 

“Good.”

As dinner continued, the conversation topics easing from one into another. Prompto felt himself relaxing, even laughing as the bald man- Clarus, Gladio’s father, he’d been told- recalled a story with Regis and a man named Weskham, who was not in attendance. By the time dinner was finished, he’d relaxed into the way they worked. He’d been in the middle of laughing when the feeling of a foot creeping along the inside of his calf made him freeze, cheeks heating up. It couldn’t be Aurora nor Gladio, which left…

Noctis.

Sparing the other a quick glance, he found the prince staring at him once more. Only, this time, he didn’t look away. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on his face. Swallowing around a suddenly dry mouth and throat, he reached out for his wine glass, only to knock it, and Gladio’s, over accidentally. A sound of surprise escaped him as he reached out, and before anyone else could react, had grasped both glasses and set them right once more.

Silence filled the room.

“Impressive… Reflexes.” Gladio commented, golden hues wide in surprise. Prompto gave a nervous titter of laughter, withdrawing his hand. His heart beat hard within his chest, blood rushing through his veins, echoing in his ears. 

“I do believe we should all retire for the evening.” Regis broke the stunned silence, gaze locked upon Prompto. 

“I agree,” Sylva echoed, slowly rising from her seat. Regis rose from his, and as one, the rest of the table rose. Lunafreya joined Sylva this time, looping her arm with her mother’s. Regis was flanked by Clarus and Cor as the left the dining room together. Prompto could just make out the murmured tones of conversation as the door closed, leaving the remaining six within.

Ravus cleared his throat as he stepped away from the table, hand outstretched to take Aurora’s. “That was _entertaining_ , to say the least. Who knew you had such good reflexes?” His tone was joking, thought the tension didn’t waver within the room.

“I have an idea!” Aurora declared, leaning into Ravus with a giddy grin before she turned her attention to the four still standing awkwardly at the table. “Come to the ballroom with us!”

“The… Ballroom?” Noctis questioned, a brow raising. “Aren’t they decorating for the Gala?”

“They are, but they should be done for the night. And the night is still young! Plus,” her smile turned mischievous, wicked, as she stepped over to Prompto, draping her arms over his shoulders. “Prompto most likely doesn’t know how to dance- properly.” 

“She has a point,” Ignis chimed in, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You will need to know how to dance for the Gala.”

“I-… If Noctis wants to?” Prompto answered uncertainly, looking over at Noctis who looked, for lack of a better term, like a deer in the headlights. It prompted a snort to escape him, which caused Aurora to let out a giggle.

A sigh left Noctis before he shrugged, hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. “Why not?” 

A cheer left Aurora as she quickly linked her arm with Prompto. Together, the pair led the men from the dining room, giggling and laughing. Perhaps it was the wine, or maybe leftover nerves spilling over, but Prompto hadn’t felt this excited in a while. Aurora paused them as she looked over her shoulder, lip jutting out in a pout. “They’re so slow.”

“What was that?” Ravus called back, a brow raised. “We’re slow?”

“Oh, we can’t have that.” Ignis murmured, unbuttoning his waist coat. “Can we, Gladio?”

“No, we can’t.” The large vampire agreed, flashing a toothy grin. 

Aurora released Prompto’s arm quickly before taking off in a sprint- one he would never have been able to keep up with. The trio took off after her, leaving Prompto behind to walk with Noctis.

Prompto’s eyes were wide as he stared at the retreating figures. “That’s… Fast.” A snort from Noctis brought him back to earth. Quietly, he walked alongside the Prince, enjoying the silence between them. “The architecture here is gorgeous. I-… If you don’t mind, I’d love to get some photographs of it? I know you guys don’t let paparazzi inside, so there aren’t many photos of how it looks in here. And it’s a shame, because this architecture- it’s Gothic, and calls back on some of the oldest parts of Insomnia, and I’m rambling.”

Noctis was smiling as he listened, magenta hues studying the blond. “I’ll have to clear it with dad, but… I don’t see a problem with it. I’ve been saying we need to let the public in more, instead of creating a protective barrier to keep us in and keep them out.”

“Good idea- oh. Is this the ballroom?”

“About time! Come on, slowpokes!” Gladio called out as they entered into the grand ballroom. It was in the midst of being decorated, tables set out but not yet covered, fabric sat in heaping piles of satin and silk, rich reds and deep burgundies. The ceiling was tall, and as Prompto studied it, he found that there were paintings across it, depicting the creation of man. Beautiful.

“Now, Ignis, are you alright to play?” Aurora asked, watching as Ignis took his place at the piano.

“I heal quickly. I’m fine,” he assured, though his words reminded Prompto of what had happened earlier. A grimace crossed his face.

“Good!” Clasping her hands before her chest, she turned, dress swirling out about her knees. “Ravus, you’ll teach Prompto!” She all but ordered, watching as her soon-to-be husband raised a brow.

“Me?” Ravus asked, amused.

“ _Him_?” Prompto echoed, alarmed. 

“Yes. Now, come on!” Aurora pulled Ravus to his feet, watching as he took off his suit jacket, leaving him in a vest and button down. Sleeves were rolled to his elbows as he moved to the center of the floor. “You too, Prompto!”

“Ignis,” Ravus called over his shoulder. “Play… _Nocturne in E Flat Major_ , please. Op nine, number two, to be specific.” The sound of knuckles cracking filled the air as Ravus turned to study Prompto. A coy smile curled his lips as he slowly bent down at the waist, extending a hand in a far too elegant fashion. “May I have this dance, Prompto?”

A flush darkened Prompto’s cheeks as he reached out, placing his hand upon Ravus’ palm. “Sure…?” A chuckle escaped Ravus as he placed his hand upon the small of Prompto’s back, pulling him closer. 

“Your left hand will rest upon my right shoulder- I’m leading. Keep your arm up, but not too stiff- _relax_ , Prompto. I’m not going to bite you.” Ravus directed softly, and Prompto shifted nervously. “There we go. Now, chin up, and either keep your gaze over my left shoulder, or at me. Nowhere else. Ignis, if you’re ready?”

“Wait, I’m not-”

“Hush,” Ravus whispered, shaking his head. “Relax and follow my lead.” His voice was so soft, Prompto noted, the accent of Tenebrae creating a soft purr in his words. He found himself relaxing as the piano notes began. Ravus stepped forward, and he stepped backward. “One, two, three. One, two, three. There we are, see? You’ve got this.” 

It was easy, once he got the hang of it. Cornflower blue hues focused on Ravus’ face; his lips held a nearly perfect cupid’s bow, and he had… Freckles. They were light, but he could see them, dusted across his nose and the high points of his cheeks. And moles- more than he’d thought. And his eyes… Prompto found himself suddenly moved away, his hand still gripping Ravus, before he was pulled back. “There we go! See, a natural, you are.” Ravus praised, bringing a smile to Prompto’s lips.

The song ended, and as Ravus took a step back, he found himself floundering. “Bow,” Gladio called out, causing Prompto to frown. But Ravus dropped into a bow at the waist, and Prompto quickly followed suit.

“Very good! Noctis, your turn! Let’s make sure you still know how to lead.” Aurora teased, and Propmto would have laughed if it weren’t for the intense look upon Noctis’ face. Swallowing thickly, he held himself still as Noctis approached.

“Here, I’ll take over,” Ravus murmured softly, taking Ignis’ place at the piano. Quietly, he began to play, a soft, dark, medium paced song. Ignis didn’t want to admit it, but Ravus was better than him at the piano.

Leaning over, Gladio whispered to Aurora. “What song is he playing?”

“Franz Liszt’s _Liebestraum_ \- Love Dream.” She replied softly as she watched Noctis take Prompto into his arms, the pair easily moving together. Far more easily that he moved with Ravus.

Far more easily than she’d seen Noctis move with Lunafreya.

Prompto’s gaze was locked upon Noctis’ eyes, that intense magenta hue burning into his sole. He didn’t remember starting to dance, didn’t realize that the waltz Noctis was leading him in was far more difficult than the one he’d just gone through with Ravus. No, all he could focus on was the intensity in Noctis’ gaze. He could feel his cheeks warming, could feel his chest and neck flushing, the tips of his ears turning red. But it wasn’t from embarrassment; no, he wasn’t embarrassed in the least. His heart was beating a hard, steady rhythm within his chest. 

He wanted, no, _needed_ to kiss Noctis. He had to. Noctis was his. He was Noctis’. 

Far to soon, the song ended, but Noctis didn’t part. No, his fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, and he simply studied the blond with the freckles within his arms.

The sharp sound of clapping startled them both apart. “Well… That was… Something.” Aurora spoke, cheeks flushed a bright pink. Clearing his throat, Ravus rose from his seat and draped an arm around Aurora’s shoulders. Ignis and Gladio moved closer to one another, and it occurred to Prompto that perhaps their dance wasn’t the most appropriate.

“I… I’ll take Prompto up to his room. I’m sure he’s exhausted,” Noctis called, and before Prompto could agree, he was being all but drug out of the room by Noctis. 

“Hey, hey, buddy, pal, _slow down_.” Prompto forced Noctis to stop, causing the other to spin around. Brows furrowing, Noctis stared Prompto down, and for a moment, Prompto wondered if he’d done something wrong.

Until Noctis surged forward and captured Prompto’s lips in a stinging, biting kiss. 

Prompto wrapped his arms around Noctis’ shoulders, pulling him closer, as Noctis backed him up, caging him against the wall. He could feel the tips of Noctis’ fangs pressing into his lips, but not breaking the skin. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure how long they stood there, kissing, until he felt Noctis’ tongue brush against his lips.

“Take me to my rooms,” Prompto whispered as he pulled back from the kiss, cheeks flushed rosy, eyes glazed. A smirk curled Noctis’ lips as he leaned down, pressing one lingering kiss after the other to Prompto’s neck. A shudder danced down his spine, spreading across his skin like a cold, silk blanket. 

" _Gladly._ "


	10. A Car, a Torch, a Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niflheim has gone too far, Prompto and Noctis take a big step, Drautos has a Panic, Nyx is suspicious, and someone dies. Fun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Me, updating so soon? I have a lot of free time right now, so I was able to write. And this one was a doozy. But! I finally bring in PromNoct, but also with a dash of a surprise ship. And some feels. A lot of feels. this is a roller coaster. Enjoy! Comments + kudos make me write faster btw.

_“I began to understand why God died.”-Twenty One Pilots_

* * *

“Don’t _stop_ ,” the blond gasped out, hands entangled within midnight locks. Teeth grazed along a freckled neck, threatening to pierce skin. The headboard of the bed thumped against the wall, echoing through the room, mingling with the sound of skin hitting against damp skin, of soft gasps and long moans.   
“I don’t plan on it.” The vampire responded, bloody hues clouded with lust as his thrusts gained speed, pulling free a high moan from the human beneath him. He could smell him, could smell the blood pumping through his veins. Could feel how warm and soft he was, pliant. It would be so easy to feed from him right now. Just one little bite, that’s all.  
“I’m gonna-” the blond choked out, gasping as he reached his peak, body tensing, shaking. The vampire stilled within him, reveling in the way he clenched and spasmed around his length. So warm, so soft. Rouge gaze met with not cornflower blue, but lilac rimmed with amethyst; such a riveting combination, such an inhuman color.   
Inhuman.

* * *

“We’ll have extra security from Tenebrae coming in within the next few days, so we can go over the protocols then. Until then, however, we need to go over a few _rules_ ,” Drautos spoke, voice loud and clear through the training hall. They had all paused in the middle of weight training when he’d come in with not one, not two, but _three_ large bags filled with the dreaded uniforms that they would be forced to wear. “Yes, we have different uniforms. Yes, you have to wear them. No, you cannot customize them, Furia.”  
A round of soft laughter filled the room as the man called out slumped down upon the bench with a pout.  
“Now, moving on: the King has announced that the Gallery will be open to the public during the day of the event. This is a rarity, and the public will jump at the chance to get _inside_ the Citadel. This cannot happen.” There had been an incident once, years ago, when a human managed to get past security and wandered the halls of the Citadel.  
He never saw the light of day again.  
“Due to this, we will be spread thin. I won’t force you to work both the day and the night, _however_ , should you _choose_ to do so, you will receive compensation for your time.” A ripple moved through the group. Compensation could mean anything from a day off to extra pay. It was definitely worth the risk. “ _HOWEVER_ ,” Titus’ voice boomed, silence the murmurs, “the king has asked for a select few to be assigned to the Gala to keep an eye on things. Ulric, Altius, Lazarus- you three _will_ work the Gala, and you _will_ keep an eye upon the crown prince and Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva has her own personal guard already, as does the Lord Ravus and his fiancé.”   
“Sir,” Nyx spoke up, brow furrowing, “what is it that his majesty wants us to do, exactly?”   
“Keep an eye on the prince and Lady Lunafreya; there’s tension between the two and given the disaster that happened nearly a decade ago at the Gala, we’d prefer to keep things as calm and non-dramatical as possible.” And to make sure that the prince didn’t have another slip up; that didn’t need to be said aloud, however. “You’re dismissed for the day to make arrangements with the Citadel tailor if your uniform does not fit.” With that, Drautos left the room, and barely a minute passed before the Glaive all but launched themselves at the garment bags.   
Crowe got to it first, ripping them open and reading the labels out loud. “Wow, these are fancy,” she mumbled, holding her own up. It was similar in make to their normal uniforms; black and silver, jacket and pants. However, she realized that her own was lacking… Pants. “A dress. I have to wear a- Nyx, I swear to the Six, if you don’t STOP laughing I can and will punch you through that wall!”   
“Wow, a dress? Regis really is going all out.”  
“I’m not wearing a dress.”  
“Yes, you are,” Nyx replied, holding his own uniform up. A deep violet band had been sewn into the left sleeve, showing that he wasn’t a shifter like the rest of the Kingsglaive. “If I have to wear a monkey suit, you get to wear a dress.”  
“But-”  
“And just think,” Pelna chimed in, coming up behind his mate, his arms wrapping around her waist, “I get to see you in a dress. And we get to dance. And you get to drink. And we get to dance.”  
“Get a ROOM.” Tredd booed, grabbing his uniform and slinging it over his shoulder.   
“We say that to you all the time and yet you’re still here.”  
“Fuck off, Ulric.”  
“You offering?”  
“CHILDREN.” Libertus broke the pair up, keeping a steady hand upon Nyx’s forearm, keeping him from stepping closer to the redhead. “Calm yourselves. You’re both pretty.”  
Nyx sighed, shaking Libertus’ hand off so he could grab hold of his uniform and hold it up. It _was_ similar to their normal work uniform, only more… Dressy? He couldn’t decide what made it different. Perhaps it was the fact that the make was more delicate, the fabric being more akin to velvet rather than the rough leather. Silver threading took place of the metal normally in place, and delicate buttons lined the left side, each one with Insomnia’s symbol engraved into the metal. “Wonder how much this cost?”  
“Don’t wanna know,” Libertus replied, pulling on the suit jacket. He made a face as he moved, feeling the strain in the shoulders. “Nope, nope, nope. We gotta fix this. A trip to Mister Scientia is in need if I’m gonna wear this monkey jacket.” He attempted to pull it off, only to pause, eyes widening as he realized his arms were _stuck_. “Nyx- Nyx, babe, help. I can’t- stop _laughing_ you dick help me _out_ of this before it rips!”  
“Calm _down_ , you oaf,” Nyx teased between laughs as he pulled the jacket the rest of the way off before holding it out, only to have it snatched away by Libertus. “C’mon, let’s go. I need to drop off some documents with Clarus, anyways.”  
“Finally finish your report?” Luche asked, a brow raising as he folded his uniform over his shoulder. “I finished mine yesterday- didn’t really _want_ to revisit that hell, but…”  
“Yeah,” Nyx sighed, shaking his head. “The footage that my body cam caught… I still can’t figure out _what_ that thing was.” A grave silence fell across the room as memories of their mission a week and a half ago. Even after watching and re-watching the footage, he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever that creature had been, it was _old_ and _dangerous_. “Either way, it was terrifying.”  
“It looked like-” Axis began, only to be cut off by Luche.  
“Don’t.” Luche interrupted, shaking his head at Axis. “That’s impossible, you and I both know that. We all know that. That isn’t _possible_ because they don’t _exist_ any longer. That was hundreds of years ago, before the last war, even.”   
“Right…” Nyx frowned, brow quirking as he glanced between the two. Hooking an arm through Libertus’ own, he pulled his lover closer. “We’re gonna… Head up to see Scientia. Don’t burn down the rec room.”  
“Damn!” Pelna cursed jokingly. “There goes my plans for the evening.”  
“I always knew you were a hidden arsonist!” Nyx shot back with a wink before leading Libertus out of the room, their uniforms in hand. Once outside, the door firmly shut behind him, he paused. “That was weird, right?”  
“Yup. But maybe Luche’s spooked, still. I mean, I know you couldn’t pick up the scent we could, but that thing was more of an Alpha than Drautos was. I wanted to roll over and bare my neck…” Shaking his head, Libertus let a shudder dance through him. “Whatever the Nifs are working on, it’s dangerous.”   
“Right. Listen-… I need to talk to Clarus. About what we saw. Because we saw what that thing was, and I know it’s impossible-”  
Libertus interrupted him with a swift kiss and a reassuring smile. “Go do what you gotta do. I’m gonna got get poked accidentally with some needles and complain about wearing a uniform.”  
“I’ll walk you up?”  
“Whatta charmer!”

* * *

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, dancing across his face. Noctis was already awake, sitting beside the blond. His freckles weren’t just on his face- they were _all over_. He’d tried to kiss them all last night, but… That would have been impossible. Hell, last night seemed _impossible_ , but Prompto was still sound asleep in his bed. His hair was a mess of a blond spikes, and his neck was covered in bruises left from Noctis’ lips.   
It brought a smile to the prince’s lips.  
Yawning, he fell back against the pillows, listening the steady breaths Prompto released beside him. He didn’t wanna wake him, not yet. He needed rest- humans needed sleep, right? Or was it dangerous if they got too much? He remembered watching a news story about how too much sleep was dangerous- was Prompto getting too much sleep now?   
… Where was Ignis when he needed him?  
“If y’stare any harder I might turn t’stone…” Came the sleepy voice of Prompto, startling Noctis so bad he nearly leaped off the bed.  
“Sorry,” Noctis apologized, cheeks flushing. “How do you… Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”  
“Mm,” Prompto hummed, rolling over onto his back and stretching. “My back sorta does, but my back always hurts so that’s nothing new- is that breakfast? It smells _wonderful_!” Prompto rapidly changed the subject, sitting up and all but crawling over Noctis to get at the tray beside the bed.   
A laugh bubbled free from Noctis as he held still, watching the blond in amusement. “They brought it in about an hour ago. It should still be warm…. I dunno what they made.” He got his answer right after as Prompto raised the lid to reveal a plate of French toast and berries. A moan slipped free from Prompto as he pulled the plate off the cart and onto the bed, settling it down between them. Silence fell as Prompto began to stuff his face, eyes closed as if he were basking in the taste.  
“That’s it. I’m stealing your chef. I need this in my life every day all day.” Prompto moaned around a mouth full of food. Noctis hummed, stealing a strawberry. Sure, they couldn’t eat a lot of human food, but a few little bites here and there didn’t cause that much damage.   
Prompto fell silent again, focused on eating. Noctis found himself thinking on the events that transpired; the kiss- which evolved into more kissing. The touches, the way Prompto looked beneath him, how he felt, how he sounded. It made his skin tingle, just thinking about it. But that tingle dissipated when the thought of Prompto’s eyes came to the forefront of his mind. Right now, they were their normal sky blue; gorgeous and light. But last night, they were lilac and rimmed with amethyst. They weren’t blue, they weren’t _normal_.   
Did Prompto know?  
Mouth opening, he was about to ask when a swift knock sounded upon his door. Groaning inwardly, Noctis sat up. “Enter.”  
“Good _afternoon_ , Noct, Prompto,” Ignis called as he made his way into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. “Noctis, you’re needed in the council. There’s been…” He faltered, something that was rare to see from the normally put-together man. “There’s been an altercation.”  
A chill danced down Noctis’ spine. “What happened?”  
“It’s better if-”  
“No. Tell me before I get down there.” He all but demanded, already climbing out of bed. He silently thanked the Six he managed to put on underwear before falling asleep last night. “I want to be prepared, and since you’re so _shaken up_ , it must be bad.”  
Prompto shifted on the bed, pulling the sheets closer, sinking in on himself. The tension in the room had rose, putting him on edge.   
“There was an attack in Tenebrae. The remaining members of the royal family were not in any danger, but…” Ignis sighed, running a hand through his hair, ruffling the carefully groomed brunet locks. “Lady Aurora’s parents were murdered.”  
Noctis dropped the brush he’d been holding, his eyes wide as he stared at the mahogany top of his desk. Prompto wanted to reach out, to say something, anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it- not with everything in him screaming for him to _run_. Noctis’ back was tensed, anger flowing off him.   
“Get a maid to bring Prompto some clothes.” He finally spoke as he pulled on a simple black hoodie and yanked on a pair of jeans. Turning to the blond, he gave a small smile. “I’m sorry- I… This- I gotta go. I’ll try to catch you before dinner, but…” Shoulders rising in a small shrug, he suddenly looked unsure.  
“Noctis, we need to go.”  
“Right-” clearing his throat, the prince straightened himself. He went to walk forward before suddenly changing his mind and walked to the edge of the bed. Soft, cool hands reached out, cupping Prompto’s cheeks, holding him in place as he placed one, two, three soft kisses against his lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”   
“Alright…” Prompto sighed, smiling, as Noctis withdrew. The prince left quickly after pulling on a pair of shoes, the door closing behind him. And then he was alone.   
Again.  
He fell back into the multitude of pillows, sinking into the soft mattress. The bed was easily three times the size of his back at his apartment, and _far_ softer. And, he noted as he rolled over, it smelled of Noctis. Soap, of woodsmoke, of a sharp tang of ozone and something sugary sweet. A smile curled his lips as he buried himself beneath the sheets. Maybe a nap wouldn’t hurt…

* * *

“Don’t _touch_ me.” Aurora hissed as soon as Noctis opened the door. Ravus took a quick step back, hands up. She was _seething_ with rage; her normally sapphire eyes had deepened in color, resembling an angry ocean more than a gem. The anger was palpable in the room; even Sylva seemed to be put on edge. “They are _dead_ and you refuse to do a damned _thing_. Sylva, I will not beg. I will not ask again. I am _demanding_ that you retaliate against them!”  
“Against who?” Noctis finally spoke up, flinching as Aurora spun around to face him. She still had tears falling, and her hair that was normally curled elegantly fell around her face and shoulders in dramatic waves. “Who did this?”   
“ _Niflheim_ ,” she growled out, hands- no, entire _body_ shaking with the anger she felt. “Those damned _bastards_ did this. They attacked Galahd, and now they strike at the holiest country? How can you sit on your-”  
“ _Aurora_!” Ravus interjected finally, and it was as if all her control finally slipped. She crumbled to the floor, falling upon her knees and leaning over, her hands curled into fists upon the floor. Ravus knelt beside her, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her to him. It hurt to see such a strong, happy woman completely wrecked. Her sobs made her entire body shake, and as Noctis watched, he could see tears trailing down Ravus’ face.  
Attention turned towards the two coven leaders, he took notice in the way Sylva seemed to be made of stone- not reacting to what was happening at all. His father, on the other hand, looked ready to commit murder. “Within this room are the only ones who know of this tragedy.” Looking around, Noctis took in the faces: Cor and Clarus behind his father, Nyx beside the door, Ignis and Gladio behind him, Lunafreya and Drautos behind Sylva. Twelve people, total. The rest of the Glaive, the remainder of the council, Lady Sylva’s security- none of them knew.   
Aside from Prompto.  
“Tomorrow, we will make an announcement of this attack. During this, we will address the attack on Galahd as well. Niflheim _will_ be brought forth for trial.” Regis paused, giving Sylva a pointed look. Noctis couldn’t help but wonder what that was about… “For genocide and for murder of a royal clan. We will seek justice. We will _not_ stoop to their levels; war is not what we are searching for. We are looking for an answer.”  
“I want blood.” Aurora muttered into Ravus’ chest, though it was loud enough for everyone in the council room to hear. “I want the one who executed my mother and father. I want to show them how it feels.”  
“That’s the anger talking, love,” Ravus murmured, brushing his fingers through her hair. “… Though I agree. I’d like to see the one who gave the final killing blow brought to trial and persecuted-”  
“ _Executed_.”  
“Executed.” Ravus finished, leveling his mother with a hard stare. Noctis watched as Sylva simply raised her wine glass to her lips and took a long sip.  
“We can talk of that after tomorrow. You’re all dismissed. Noctis, come with me; we need to speak.” With that, the room cleared out relatively quickly, Clarus, Cor, Nyx, and Drautos being the only ones left behind to act as guards for them. “We cannot enter into another war, you understand this. You know how crippling the last war had been. Insomnia nearly fell had it not been for the surprise attack Tenebrae launched against Niflheim. I fear this is their retaliation for that attack.”  
“But that was… What, over a hundred years ago? Before I was even born, so almost two hundred? And they’re still angry?” Noctis asked, confusion evident in his voice. “Why attack _now_?”   
“They’re working on some sort of secret weapon. During our reconnaissance to Galahd, we were attacked by Niflheim airships. There was…” Nyx faltered, brows furrowing. “ _Something_ in the forest. It’s impossible, I know, but there was a shifter in the forest. One that wasn’t like us- now, that is. It resembled the original shifters. Like the werewolves of old.”  
“How is that possible?” Alarm caused his voice to pitch upwards, much to Noctis’ annoyance.  
“We don’t know,” Cor spoke up. “We’ve sent agents to Niflheim over the years, but none of them have ever returned. I assume they were taken hostage, defected, or took their own lives before Niflheim had the chance.” A grim silence spread through the room.  
“I’ve reached out to Iedolas Aldercapt; he’s the president of Niflheim.” Regis broke the silence, voice soft. “He has agreed to meet during the upcoming Gala. It’s a risk, but that was the only way he would agree- if we did this during the Gala.”  
“He’s planning something.” Clarus stated harshly.  
“I know. Which is why I’m going to make sure we have our best on guard during the Gala. Drautos, I want you to remove your Glaives from patrolling the morning. The Insomnian police force can handle the public,” Regis ordered, magenta hues focused on the marble floor beneath their feet.  
“Of course, your majesty.”  
“I want Lazarus and Altius to be on the Gala floor at all times. Khara will be on the upper floor with Arra, Ostium and Furia in the gardens. Nyx will remain near Noctis or Lunafreya at all times- when Noctis is not with Gladiolus or Ignis, Nyx will be with him. Any other time, he will be with Lunafreya. We cannot have her injured.”  
“Sir?” Nyx interrupted, brows raised.  
“I fear they will attempt to strike at Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva is too much an obvious target, and Lord Ravus is an accomplished warrior that would be too difficult to fight.” Noctis shifted nervously. His father really had thought everything through already, hadn’t he? “We must be prepared for the worst. If an attempt is pulled, we will default to Alpha Phase One.”  
“Which is?” Noctis asked, leaning against the edge of the oak table. “If I’m here, it involves me. What’s this… Alpha-whatever?”  
“Alpha Phase One,” Regis began, shooting his son an amused glance, “is a plan of escape that only a few know. And I will keep it that way.” His tone was final.   
“So I don’t get to know it?”  
“No.”  
“… Ouch.”  
“You have your own escape route that Gladiolus and Ignis know and will take should something happen.”  
“They know it?” Noctis asked in surprise. “And I don’t?”  
“Exactly.” Regis replied smugly.   
“ _Rude_.”  
“I think you’ll survive.”

* * *

“You shouldn’t _be_ here!” Titus hissed as he closed his apartment door, quickly locking it. Ater shrugged, perfectly comfortable with sitting atop the counter. “Do you _realize_ how much trouble I could get in? You aren’t supposed to be _seen_ here.”  
“And no one saw me.” She replied simply, sliding off the counter. “You stress too much, babe. No one saw me. I even went as far as using prosthetics.” She waved a hand to the mess on the kitchen table. “It was a pain in the ass to get on and off. Oh, and disposable contacts. And a wig. I made sure I wasn’t recognized.”  
Groaning softly, the general ran a hand over his face. “You’re going to be the death of me, you realize this?” He muttered as he walked closer, hands coming to rest upon the vampire’s hips, pulling her close. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”  
“They sent me out before they dispatched the Gloriam clan.” Her voice was soft as she reached up to cup his cheek, his scruff scratching at her palm. Icy hues took in the dark shadows beneath his eyes. “I didn’t know what they had planned. I don’t even know what- or who- they sent out. It wasn’t me, or Highwind. I would know- I was out drinking with her when we got the news.”  
“Well, shit.” Sighing, Drautos released her and began to work on removing his coat. “Regis is pissed. They do realize that they didn’t get the _entire_ clan, right?”  
“… They didn’t?”  
His blood froze in his veins as he turned slowly, taking in the genuine surprise that splayed across Ater’s face. “… They didn’t realize Aurora was still here.” He whispered, panic settling in. His heart began a tap dance within his chest. “Who authorized the attack?”  
“Aldercapt.”  
“That _idiot_!” Hand banged against the counter, the wood releasing a groan in protest. “He moves without thinking and creates a mess that I have to clean up.” Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he forced himself to relax. It wouldn’t be good to shift in his _apartment_. “Regis is going to address the public in the morning about the attack on Galahd and the murder of the Gloriam clan.”  
“Shit.” Ater mumbled, biting on her thumb. This managed to mess everything up. “What of the girl?”  
“Aurora?”  
“Yes.”  
“She’s untouchable, especially now. She’s engaged to Ravus, and we _all_ know what the Lord is capable of. He saw battle when he was a barely an adult. He killed. He’s ruthless and dangerous.” Drautos shook his head, jaw working. “Iedolas is coming to Insomnia in a week… Why are you here? Had he planned on coming here?”  
“He wanted me to come and check in on you. Watch- since you haven’t been sending in your reports…” Ater trailed off, shrugging. “And to get familiar with the city.”  
“Why?”  
“Because he’s planning something. I don’t know what it is- I can’t ever get him alone to talk to him, that _scoundrel_ of a man is always there, whispering in his ear. I don’t trust him, Titus. I don’t like him. He’s… _Wrong_.” Shuddering, she moved closer, her arms coming to wrap around his middle. Cold fingertips slipped beneath his shirt, nails just barely dragging across the skin of his back.   
“Ardyn is dangerous,” Drautos agreed, fingers trailing down her spine, hooking in the waistband of her pants. “But now that you’re here, I don’t have to rely on _phone calls_ or _texts_.” He murmured, leaning down to steal a fierce kiss. A surprised noise escaped Ater before she reached up, holding onto his shirt, pulling him closer. His teeth grazed her lip, and her fangs pierced his own. Blood welled up between them, the kiss growing far more messy, animalistic. His hands wandered lower, grasping her rear, squeezing, pulling her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up with one arm. His free hand slipped beneath her shirt, preparing to unclip her bra, only to be met with bare skin. A laugh melted into the kiss from Ater.  
“I didn’t bother with one.” She whispered, pulling back to lick at her lips. Blood smeared down her chin, across her lips. He could feel blood across his own chin, in his mouth. But a growl of approval slipped free as she pulled her shirt off, over her head. “I’m not wearing any underwear, either.” She added, watching as his pupils dilated. He leaned down, pressing a kiss within the valley of her breasts. A soft breath left her, her head tilting back as he pressed more kisses against the soft skin before pulling a nipple into his mouth. His tongue laved against it before he bit down gently.  
“ _Good_.”

* * *

“It’s late, my lord.” Cor murmured in lieu of announcing himself as he entered the study. Regis sat in a plush armchair before the wall of floor to ceiling windows, gazing out across Insomnia. “You need to rest. It’s been a long day…” The room was softly lit due to the fire burning within the large fireplace. It smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg; warmth.   
Regis hummed in response, slowly swirling the remnants of his glass of bloodwine. “Sylva is planning a coup d'é-tat.” He spoke simply, listening to way Cor’s footsteps paused. Even from here, across the large room, he could hear the way his friend- no, _lover’s_ \- heart skipped a beat.   
“Sir?” He asked, as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “How do you…?”   
“She isn’t the only one with spies within the ranks.” Came the soft answer as Regis rose from his seat. Standing there, back illuminated by the fire slowly dying in the fireplace- it brought Cor back to their first time together. So many years ago, he’d been so young, and Regis had been so very gentle and kind. Strong. Smart. Heartbroken.  
“You have Aurora working for you, then.”  
“Yes,” Regis replied, turning to face the human. Cor had changed out of his uniform and into a pair of sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Ready to sleep, and yet he came to check on him. It warmed his heart. “I had made an agreement with her shortly before her engagement to Ravus. He knows, as well.”  
“And Lady Lunafreya…?”  
“Is a pawn in Sylva’s game.”  
“That poor, poor girl.”  
“A shame. She was once so gentle.”  
“And now she’s the perfect blade for her mother to weild.”  
Silence fell as Cor moved closer, stepping around the desk to stand beside his king. Glacier hues stared out upon the city below; it never stopped moving, never stopped advancing. Never slept. The feeling of Regis moving closer, stepping in behind him, made a shudder dance through his skin. He leaned back against the vampire, head resting upon his shoulder. Regis, I turn, wrapped his arms around his middle, leaned his head against Cor’s. Together they stood, watching the city, as the last embers died out.   
“Take me to bed, Cor.”  
“Of course, your majesty.”

* * *

Prompto had been playing a game on his phone when Noctis came back to his room. Dinner had been delivered three hours earlier, along with an apology from Noctis. Some sort of meeting happened, and he couldn’t leave until it was over. Which was fine! Prompto had plenty to do! Update his Instagram, play games on his phone, snoop through Noctis’ drawers (he was a boxer brief guy, apparently), and look through the books that lined the wall. Prompto knew that the Citadel had its own library, but Noctis had his own personal one within his bedroom.  
He may have spent too long looking through the comic books.  
“Is Aurora alright?” He meant to say hello, how are you, but he needed to know. She was such a kind, sweet girl. For her to be hit with this…  
Noctis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he toed off his shoes. “No. She’s… Angry. Sad. Grieving. I spent the last two hours with her and Ravus. She tore up their bedroom- literally.” Prompto’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. She’s mostly mad at Sylva for not doing anything. Or suggesting any action. Dad took it upon himself to decide to make a public statement…”  
“Why isn’t Lady Sylva doing anything?” That was confusing. Prompto scooted to the edge of the bed, feet barely grazing the floor as he watched Noctis move about, pulling the hoodie off. “Isn’t Aurora Tenebraen?”  
“She is. I don’t know why Sylva isn’t doing anything- she barely spoke during the council meeting. I dunno. The entire situation is just… Weird and bad.” Shrugging, Noctis slipped into the en suite. “I had them bring you dinner- did you eat? Did you like it?”  
“I did!” Prompto called back, grinning. “I had to have that girl- Crowe? She was the one who came with the maid. I had to have her help me figure out how to eat lobster tail… I’d never had it before.”  
“Really?” Noctis poked his head out, brows raised, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.   
A snort spilled free from Prompto as he nodded. “Yeah. But it was good! And that linguine was so good. I swear I’m going to steal your cook.”  
“Nah, you can’t have Iggy.”  
“ _IGNIS COOKED THAT_?!” He hadn’t meant to be so loud, but he couldn’t help it. Finding out that Ignis cooked that entire meal was surprising.   
“Yeah, he’s been trained to be my personal chef. Lowers the risk of being poisoned.” Noctis answered, coming back into the room with an amused smile. “Since that’s a thing that happens to royals.”  
“Oh…” Right. That was a thing that Noctis had to worry about. “… You have a lot of books.” He changed the subject easily as Noctis pulled open a drawer, rummaging around before pulling a pair of sleeping pants out.   
Tugging his jeans off (and nearly falling in the process), he glanced over to the book shelves that took up an entire wall. “Yeah- dad used to read to me as a kid, and it just… Stuck. I only like fiction. Like… Magic. That kind of thing.”  
A sudden question popped into Prompto’s mind. “Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?” He asked, watching as Noctis paused, pants pulled back up.   
“… No.”  
“You’d love it! It’s sort of like… If the characters from Lord of the Rings clashed with Dragon Age.” Prompto attempted to explain, and received a laugh in response as Noctis settled down onto the bed before collapsing backwards. “I’m serious! It’s really fun, too. You can make your own character and there’s always detailed stories…”  
“Prom?”  
“Yeah, buddy?”  
“… Stay the night with me.”  
Prompto froze, cheeks flushing at the request. “I… You sure?” He asked, fidgeting with the hem of the pajama top that had been brought for him. It was too big, but that was perfect. “I mean, I can go back to my room-”  
“I’m sure.” Noctis replied, reaching out to tug on the edge of Prompto’s shirt. “Not to… Not to have sex. But just- I don’t wanna be alone. And I sleep better with someone beside me.” He explained almost shyly, not meeting Prompto’s questioning gaze. “If you don’t want to, I won’t force you, but-”  
“I do!” Prompto exclaimed, before quickly backpedaling. “I mean, I’d love to. I’m good. I like it here. I like… I like being with you. Near you.” He wiggled in place for a moment before falling back on the bed beside the vampire.   
“Good.” Noctis nodded, pulling Prompto closer. “I just wanna lay here. Today was… Rough.”  
“Alright,” Prompto hummed, lacing their fingers together. “Then we can just lay here- as long as you want to, Noct.”  
Noctis nodded, eyes closing. Prompto shifted, tucking his head into the crook of the other’s neck. It was nice, to just lay with one another. Prompto hadn’t realized how much he wanted, no, craved this. This softness, this warmth. Slowly, he tangled his legs with Noctis’, who hummed and cracked open an eye. He pulled his hand free to clap twice, and the lights dimmed by themselves.  
“… That is so cool.”  
“I know, right?” Noctis grinned as he took Prompto’s hand into his own once more, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt the blond yawn against his shoulder and answered it with one of his own. “I’m glad you’re here, Prom.”  
“Me, too.” Prompto murmured, pressing a tiny kiss just below his ear. Within minutes, the pair had fallen asleep.  
Neither one noticed the way the bedroom door opened slowly, letting in the shadows of the hallway.

* * *

Her breaths came fast, panicked. Running, running; why did the family have to put in a maze in their garden? She could hear the water lapping against the shore; she was so close to finding the exit! The sound of growls behind her made her run faster, ignoring the way her feet bled, the way her dress was torn to shreds. She’d been there when they arrived. She’d hidden, contorting herself to fit into the hiding hole in the Lady of the house’s closet.  
They thought they got everyone.  
The little Lady was not here. She was gone, in Insomnia. They didn’t know that. They couldn’t know that. They wouldn’t know that. She wouldn’t tell them.  
She thought they were all gone. She came out, and it was quiet. She went into the sitting room and found their bodies there. She didn’t scream; she couldn’t scream. Her vocal chords had been damaged when she was little. She couldn’t make a sound, even if she tried.   
Then she saw _it_. It was bloody, and scary. Its fur was dark brown, and it smelled bad. Like rotting bodies. It had seen her, and it stared at her, golden eyes seeming far too human like. It was _big_ , too; easily reaching her shoulders. And then she ran, and it followed, crashing through the house.  
It hunted her through the maze, and it was still hunting her. Right, left, right, and she should be out!  
No. No, no, no. No, this couldn’t be. There was supposed to be the exit here, not a dead end! Turning, she looked about frantically. She couldn’t climb through the bushes; the thorns would tear her to pieces before she even made it to the top. The sound of a growl made her freeze, her entire body shaking.   
It was here.  
She turned, slowly, coming face to face with the beast. It was… _Smiling_. Smiling in a far too human way. No shifter should look that human, like it was a human sewn into bear skin. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she backed up against the hedge, feeling thorns press into her back. It advanced. For the first time since she was three years old, she managed to make a noise.   
She screamed as its teeth closed around her throat.


End file.
